AUSTRALIAN
NATUROPATHIC NETWORK
Serving
the community since 1998
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Departments » Herbal Medicine » Materia Medica » Portulaca oleracea |
Note - the monographs are provided for informational purposes only, and are not to be used for self-medication.
Portulaca oleracea (Purslane)
| Botanic Name | Portulaca oleracea |
| Common Name | Purslane, Garden Purslane, Pigweed (Grieve) Munyeroo(RD) Thukouro (Lassak) |
| Family | Portulaceae |
| Habitat | Mostly on sandy and loamy soils, especially inland areas and northern areas. It is an introduced weed in many southern settled areas. Not in Tasmania. (Lassak) |
| Description | A prostrate, succulent annual with reddish or brownish stems and mostly alternate leaves. Leaves are wedge-shaped or oblong wedge-shaped, sometimes becoming more rounded near the apex, 1-2cm long. Its stalkless flowers are yellow, solitary or in clusters in leaf forks. The flower’s four to six petals are as long as its sepals. Seeds are rough and black. Flowers in summer. (Lassak) |
| Similar Plants | Portulaca sativa (Golden Purslane), Atriplex portulcoides (Sea Purslane), |
| Parts Used | Herb, Juice, Seeds (Grieve) |
| History | Purslane in
ancient times was looked on as one of the anti-magic herbs, and
strewn round a bed was said to afford protection against evil
spirits. We are told that it was a sure cure for blastings by
lightening or planets and burning of gunpowder. (Grieve)
It was part of the Australian Aborigine’s diet, and has been used as a salad green. (RD) Long use as food stuff in India and Middle East, and was introdued into cultivation in Europe in Middle Ages (Stuart) First grown in England in 1582 but probably well known in Italy and France well before this (described in 1536) (Stuart) Used as an emetic by Zulu (Stuart) |
| Constituents | Small
amounts of alkaloids (noradrenaline, dopamine) (Lassak)
Calcium oxalate (Lassak) Potassium nitrate (Lassak) |
| Actions | Cooling
diuretic (Lassak)
Antiscorbutic (Lassak) Blood cleanser (Lassak) |
| Applications | Strangury
(Juice) (Grieve)
Dry Coughs (Juice) (Grieve) Shortness of breath (Juice) (Grieve) Immoderate thirst (Juice) (Grieve) Inflammation and sores (Topical) (Grieve) Cool ‘heat in the liver’ (Grieve) Hot agues (Grieve) All pains in the head proceeding from the heat, want of sleep or the frenzy (Grieve) Haemorrhage (Grieve) Haemoptysis (Lassak) Food(RD) Dysentry & Appendicitis(RD) Liver, kidney, spleen, bladder, blood system problems(RD) |
| Dosage | |
| Combinations | |
| C/I Cautions | Oxalate and
nitrate poisoning may occur if used in large quantities (Lassak)
Pregnancy (McGuffin) Individuals with a history of kidney stones should use this herb with caution (McGuffin) |
| BHP S/I |