One such example turned up in the Yuba Sun today, where writer Nancy Gilkey reported on the common weed purslane, which in some cultures is considered a flavorful vegetable.

Cooks can find the the versatile and nutritious green growing along the road in Yuma County, Gilkey wrote.

For purslane nutrition facts, she pulled information written by LA County media outreach director Dohee Kim from a 2006 UC ANR tip sheet and attributed information to the "University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources." Kim's sources were UC integrated pest management advisor Cheryl Wilen and the UC IPM pest note on common purslane.

“One cup of raw common purslane is only 7 calories, yet it provides 15 percent of the daily requirement of Vitamin C. Crude protein is reported to be about 20 percent. Furthermore, the plant is one of the highest non-animal sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease.”

Purslane can also be cultivated in home gardens, but be careful, it grows like a weed.