2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
The herbaceous plant Purslane pleases flower growers with a variety of colors during the flowering period, unpretentiousness to the type of soil, tolerance to irregular watering. The picturesque flowers of the plant easily fit into a variety of landscape conditions. Purslane is used to decorate old buildings, rocky paths, the cracks and gaps of which the wind has managed to fill with enough soil to make the plant's shallow root system comfortable. Purslane can be used to protect the near-stem circles of trees from malicious weeds and drying out the sun's rays
Garden purslane. Eat or Destroy?
The most famous among the numerous species of plants of the genus Portulac was won by the species with the Latin name "Portulaca oleracea". This phrase has been translated into Russian as "Garden purslane", which is very symbolic. After all, the seeds of this species were extracted by archaeologists in many prehistoric places, the age of which dates back to the seventh century BC. An ancient Greek naturalist and philosopher named Theophrastus in the fourth century BC reminds in his writings that in April, along with several summer herbs, Portulac should be sown.
The ancient Roman writer Pliny the Elder in the first century AD advised his compatriots to use Purslane as an amulet against the forces of evil, the healing abilities of the plant were considered so reliable. In 1288 A. D., the Italian writer and poet Bonvesin de la Riva, in his treatise De magnalibus urbis Mediolani (The Great City of Milan), lists a long list of foods that Milanese enjoy. Purslane is also on this list.
Currently, about four dozen varieties of Portulaca are grown in different countries of the world. The fact that the plant is annual is not an obstacle for cultivation. Delicate stems
Juicy leaves and flower buds of Purslane, harvested early in the morning, have a pleasant, slightly sour taste, since the maximum amount of malic acid accumulates in them during the night. They can be eaten both raw and boiled or stewed, used as a side dish or as a vegetable salad. But, as they say, people have different tastes. Thus, the English publicist, historian and pamphleteer William Cobbett (1763-09-03 - 1835-18-06) noted that the leafy vegetable Purslane “is eaten by the French and pigs when they have nothing else. They both eat it raw."
Although purslane is a thermophilic and photophilous plant, purslane is easy to grow in areas with cold climates, using the warm season. Only, in order to obtain a decent harvest, the plant should be allocated areas open to the sun. During the hot and dry summer months, Purslane grows rapidly, responding to drought by nightly production of malic acid in stems and miniature picturesque leaves. The ability of Purslane to grow on poor compacted soils and easily tolerate drought is due to the presence of a taproot with numerous side fibrous roots.
Garden purslane is so unpretentious that it easily degenerates into an annoying weed, if you do not limit its "appetite".
Large-flowered purslane
When it comes to the decorative use of plants of the genus Purslane, the first that comes to mind is the species of the genus, called by botanists "Portulaca grandiflora", which in Russian sounds like "Large-flowered purslane". The homeland of this succulent plant with picturesque flowering is the lands of Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil. Low-growing bushes with single spectacular flowers are frequent guests of flower beds and flower beds in South Asia. In the photo on the left, Portulac, I met on one of the Thai streets. Those who have been to the Balkans might have noticed the large-flowered Portulacus in most cities, where it harmoniously coexists with the old architecture of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries. Oddly enough, the thermophilic Portulac feels great on Siberian soil. This is the kind of beauty that grows on a summer cottage near the city of Novokuznetsk (Kuzbass):
Large-flowered purslane has a number of differences from garden purslane. Firstly, its succulent leaves, stems and flower buds are not suitable for food. Secondly, the leaves of the plant are in the form of miniature cylinders. Thirdly, the size of the flowers is larger, and the color of the petals is richer. Terry varieties of flowers resemble miniature bright roses, and therefore the plant has many popular names in which the word "rose" is present. For example, "Mexican rose", "Vietnamese rose", "rose of the sun", "stone rose" … These are the bright roses growing in the Egyptian city of Hurghada:
The ability of Purslane to grow quickly prompted me to decorate the mandarin tree trunk circle in the courtyard of a house with sandy soil:
Purslane can also grow in a container, decorating balconies, country terraces or window cornices:
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