The article provides a comprehensive systematic review of scientific data regarding the ecological and biological properties of Portulaca oleracea L., considering both global and Ukrainian contexts. In accordance with the PRISMA protocol, 67 relevant scientific publications for the period 1990–2024 were analyzed from the Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases, of which 34.3 % were classified as high-quality studies. The morphological, anatomical, physiological, and phytochemical features of common purslane are highlighted, particularly its unique ability to adapt to climatic stress conditions due to switching between C4 - and CAM photosynthesis types. The mechanisms of salt tolerance of the species, which can withstand NaCl concentrations of up to 400 mM, are examined in detail, making it a promising agent for phytodesalination of soils. Significant regional disparities in the perception of the species have been identified: while in Asian and Mediterranean countries, as well as in the USA, P. oleracea is recognized as a «super-food» (a source of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants) and a valuable pharmacological crop, in Ukraine it is predominantly treated as an aggressive segetal weed. Statistical analysis showed that the share of domestic studies accounts for only 4.5 % of the total volume, most of them ignore the ecological potential of the plant. The authors identified a critical gap in scientific knowledge: the lack of data regarding the accumulation of 137Cs and 90Sr radionuclides and heavy metals by purslane in post-Chornobyl landscapes. The necessity of reevaluating the species as an effective bioindicator of technogenic load and a tool for the recultivation of degraded agroecosystems under climate change conditions is substantiated.

Key words: common purslane, biological monitoring, phytoindication, climate change, ecological adaptation, phytodesalination, radioecology.