What's unusual about winter purslane is that it has no problem surviving severe winters. It is a fleshy edible plant, containing lots of vitamin C and minerals. No wonder its nicknames are lettuce or spinach. Winter purslane is easy to recognize. Besides being one of the few herbal plants that is a bright healthy green in the winter, the rosettes of long stems end in a dish-like leaf. Actually, it is a pair of leaves which have united into one. The tiny flowers emerge from the middle of the dish.