Portulaca oleracea
Uses
India (Bombay Presidency): leaves eaten; (Deccan): shoots eaten. (Madras Presidency): leaves and tender shoots are cooked and eaten as greens. (Rajasthan, western : leaves eaten; plant used as vegetable; (Garwhal Himalayas): leaves boiled and eaten as vegetable. Soil type favored by plant: saline. Australia (Musgrave Region): seeds eaten. Australia (central) : seeds ground into flour in hand quern. A coarse paste is made from it, which is reportedly antiscorbutic. The entire plant is also eaten raw, or baked in ashes. Chad (central): leaves eaten. Ethiopia (Wollo Province): leaves boiled in water and eaten as vegetable or as a sauce. Seeds also reported eaten.
Additional Information
- Name Authority:
- L.
- Vernaculars:
- (India) - Bombay Presidency: Ahmednagar and Nasik districts: Ghol. Ahmednagar district, Sangamner: Gholu. Satara district: Ghola. Bijapur district, Badami: Goli. Rajasthan (western): Jangli kulfa, Kulfa. [Schultes and von Reis give Kulfo.] Tamil: Paroopoo, Corie keeray. Telugu: Peddapail kura, Ganga pavilli kura. Chad (central) - Arabic: Lisan el bagara. Australia (Cloncurry River): Thukouro. English: Purslane. Ethiopia: Antaria
- Misc:
- Chemical composition: seeds are reported above-average for angiosperms for the amino acids Glycine and Tyrosine. Soil type favored by plant: saline.
