Scientific Name
Portulaca oleracea L.
Synonyms
Portulaca consanguinea Schltdl., Portulaca fosbergii Poelln., Portulaca fosbergii var. major Poelln., Portulaca hortensis Rupr. [Illegitimate], Portulaca intermedia Link ex Schltdl., Portulaca latifolia Hornem., Portulaca marginata Kunth, Portulaca neglecta Mack. & Bush, Portulaca officinarum Crantz, Portulaca oleracea f. alba Alef., Portulaca oleracea f. aurantia Alef., Portulaca oleracea f. aurea Alef., Portulaca oleracea f. caryophyllina Alef., Portulaca oleracea f. gillesii Alef., Portulaca oleracea subsp. granulatostellulata (Poelln.) Danin & H.G.Baker, Portulaca oleracea f. haageana Alef., Portulaca oleracea var. macrantha Eggers, Portulaca oleracea var. micrantha Eggers, Portulaca oleracea subsp. oleracea, Portulaca oleracea var. opposita Poelln., Portulaca oleracea f. parvifolia (Haw.) Alef., Portulaca oleracea var. parvifolia (Haw.) Griseb., Portulaca oleracea f. rosea Alef., Portulaca oleracea var. sativa DC., Portulaca oleracea f. sativa (DC.) Alef., Portulaca oleracea subsp. sativa (Haw.) Čelak., Portulaca oleracea subsp. stellata Danin & H.G.Baker, Portulaca oleracea f. striata Alef., Portulaca oleracea f. sulfurea Alef., Portulaca oleracea subsp. sylvestris (Garsault) Thell., Portulaca oleracea f. violacea Alef., Portulaca olitoria Pall., Portulaca parvifolia Haw., Portulaca pilosa var. marginata (Kunth) Kuntze, Portulaca retusa Engelm., Portulaca sativa Haw. [Illegitimate], Portulaca stellata (Danin & H.G.Baker) Ricceri & Arrigoni, Portulaca suffruticosa Thwaites [Illegitimate], Portulaca sylvestris Garsault [Invalid], Portulaca sylvestris Montandon. [1]
Vernacular Name
| Malaysia | Gelang pasir, segan jantan, rumput beremi [2], gelang [3] |
| English | Purslane [2], children’s spinach, common purslane, garden purslane, jump up and kiss me, little hogweed, money plant, pigweed, portulaca, purslane, parsley, pussley [3] |
| China | Ma chih hsien, ma chi xian [4] |
| India | Ab khurfa murrawaq, bachale soppu, boddupavilikura, badalania, badi noni, baglatulhumqa, baqlat-il-fathima, baqlat-ul-hamqa, baqlat-ul-laina, baqlat-ul-mubark, baqlat-ul-mutlaqa, baqlat-ul-zahar, baqlatul humqa, bara laniya, baralonia, baraloniya, baralaniya, baralunia, bhuigholi, boddupavilikoora, boddupavilikura, boondaqi, brhallonika, brihalloni, budagora, buklut-ul-kukema, buklutulkukema, chhotalunia, cholza, daliara, dodda gonisoppu, duda-gorai, fafees, ganga paavillikoora, ghoi, gholbaaji, ghole, gholika, ghotika, gol-golchi-bhaji, golisoppu, gonikasa, han-thai, irattarputakkirai, kara-tsjira, kariccira, karikkirai, karpakakantakkirai, karpakantam, kherefeh, khurfah, khurfekasag, khursa, kirigoli, kolikkirai, kolikkurumpan, kolikkurumpankirai, koluppaccira, korichira, koshi keerai, kotakam, kourfa kara, kozuppa, kulfa, kulfo, kutbo, luniya, lunuk, lunya, motiluni, motighol, muncha, nicakaram, noniya, pappu kura, tork, ram jata, urfaj, vayalai kodi [3] |
| Indonesia | Gelang, krokot (Java); re-sereyan (Madura) [2]; silobar pinggan [4] |
| Thailand | Phakbia-yai (Central); phakbia-dokluang [2] |
| Laos | Taa kôngz, biaz [2] |
| Philippines | Golasiman (Tagalog); ngaluk (Ilocano); alusiman (Bicol) [2]; ausiman, bakbakad, dupdupil, gulasiman, kolasiman, lungum, olasiman, sahihan, sahikan, ulisiman [3] |
| Cambodia | Maông dâb phkaa [2] |
| Vietnam | Rau sam [2], ma xi hien [3] |
| Japan | Suberi-hiyu [3] |
| Australia | Common pigweed, common purslane, munyeroo [3] |
| Saudi Arabia | Bleibsha, blibcha, farfah, farfena, rashad, rigla [4] |
| Kenya | Ekaletele, elete, engaiyagut, gatumia, kamama, kamumama, kelpomough, kinyukwi, litoto-lia-bamia, mwere, nturmayei, obwanda, tumeighio, tumeiw’o [4] |
| Bhutan | Phagpa jakpo [4] |
| Congo | Baselesele, poli, selesele [4] |
| Africa | Akalitete, danga danga, eleketete, gatumia, obwanda, ssezzira (East); arata yace, ma kil ma-aro, tondo wolii (West) [4] |
| France | Pourpier [2] |
| Italy | Porcachia, porcacchia, porcellana, procacchia, purciddana [4]. |
Geographical Distributions
Portulaca is a genus consisting of about 40 species, mainly tropical and subtropical in distribution. In Southeast Asia, 5 species are present. Portulaca oleracea is a cosmopolitan weed (wild and cultivated) whose origin is unknown. Mexico and Australia are considered to be centres of its diversity. The cultivated forms probably originated in the Old World. [2] P. oleracea is more tolerant of lower temperatures, it occurs in Java up to elevations of 1800 m. For P. oleracea, populations are often adapted to certain climatic and edaphic conditions. Diploid populations often grow as halophytes in coastal areas, tetraploids are found in the widest range of latitudes and altitudes while hexaploids are found mainly at high latitudes and altitudes. [2]
Botanical Description
P. oleracea is comes from the family Portulaceae. It is an erect or ascending annual herb that can grow up to 50 cm tall. [2]
The leaves are obovate to spoon-shaped, measuring 2-40 mm x 1-20 mm, and with inconspicuous axillary hairs measuring up to 1 mm long. [2]
The inflorescences are 2-30-flowered, with 2-8 involucral leaves, with carinate sepals and measuring up to 6 mm x 6 mm. There are (4-)5 yellow petals, which are broadly obovate and measuring up to 7 mm x 6 mm. There are 7-10(-15) stamens which are usually alongside 5-armed style. [2]
The fruit is ovoid and measuring about 4 mm x 3 mm. [2]
The seeds are granulated and measure 0.5-1.2 mm in diametre. The testa cells are stellulate with many fine tubercles. [2]
Cultivation
No documentation
Chemical Constituent
No documentation
Plant Part Used
No documentation
Traditional Use
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Preclinical Data
No documentation
Clinical Data
No documentation
Poisonous Management
No documentation
Line Drawing
References
- The Plant List. Ver 1.1. Portulaca oleracea L. [homepage on the Internet]. c2013. [updated on 2012 Mar 23; cited 2015 Jul 31]. Available from: http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2566490
- Portulaca oleracea L. In: Siemonsma JS, Piluek K, editors. Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 8. Vegetables. Wageningen, Netherlands: Pudoc Scientific Publishers; 1993.
- Quattrocchi U. CRC world dictionary of medicinal and poisonous plants: Common names, scientific names, eponyms, synonyms and etymology; Volume IV M-Q. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press; 2012. p. 693-694.
- Herbal Medicine Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research.Compendium of medicinal plants used in Malaysia, Volume 2. Kuala Lumpur: HMRC IMR; 2002. p. 253.
