8/8/2019 Purslane Science Factsheet

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COMMON PURSLANE Science Page

DID YOU KNOW?Common purslane is aweed in gardens andfarm fields throughoutmuch of the world. Butfor hundreds of years,

many people have alsoused it as a vegetableand a medicine.

I use commonpurslane to

thicken stew.

ORIGINSNo one knows for surewhere commonpurslane originallycame from. Manybotanists believe it isnative to thedesert in North Africa.

Its fleshy stems andleaves help it to thrivein dry desert soil.

THE COMMON PURSLANE PLANT

The thick red stems grow outfrom a central root. They growalong the ground, forming amat. The stems are smooth,round, and filled with sap.

The small yellowflowers open in themorning sun.

The seeds are in tiny

pods. The lids on thepods open when theseeds inside are ripe.

CLASSIFYING COMMON PURSLANE

FAMILYPortulacaceae

(purslane family)The flowers of the purslane familymay have several petals, but only 2green sepalsunder thepetals.

GENUSPortulaca 

In Latin, this means “little door,” which refers tothe door-like opening of the seed pods.

SPECIESoleracea In Latin, this

means “edible.” 

FRIEND . . .Common purslane canbe eaten raw in saladsor it can be cooked likespinach. It is very highin Omega-3 fatty acidsand vitamins A and C.

I can pullup thispurslane

and use itin a salad...

. . .OR FOE? Common purslaneplants can quickly takeover a farm field orgarden. Their leavesand stems are full of stored water, so theplants can survive even

the worst dry periods.Each common purslaneplant can producethousands of seeds.Broken bits of stems orleaves can also takeroot and grow. Within afew weeks of sprouting,a plant can make ripeseeds.

... but I won’t leaveany cut stems on

the ground becausethey can root and

grow.

The thick roundedleaves contain sap.They are usuallygrouped at the endsof branches.

seed

petals

sepals

seedpod

Garden Mosaics is funded by the National Science Foundation Informal Science Education program, and bythe College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University.

Portulaca  grandiflora 

Common purslane

Common purslaneis an annual.

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8/8/2019 Purslane Science Factsheet

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CROSSWORDPUZZLE

Garden Mosaics is funded by the National Science Foundation Informal Science Education program, and bythe College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University.

Growing Purslane as a Power FoodPlant foods are not only important for

nutrition. They also contain substances thatprotect us against diseases. Omega-3 fatty acidis one of these important substances. It helpsprevent a wide range of medical problems,including heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.

All the cells in our bodies are surrounded bycell membranes, which contain fatty acids. Thecell membranes are important because theyallow nutrients into our cells and allow wasteproducts to exit the cells. Thus, Omega-3 fattyacid helps to keep all the cells in our bodieshealthy.

Purslane contains a lot of Omega-3 fattyacid. Scientists at the University of Connecticutare trying to find out how to grow purslane sothat it has the maximum amount of Omega-3

fatty acid. They grew purslane in thegreenhouse in many different ways. For eachtreatment, they measured the amount of Omega-3 fatty acid in the purslane leaves. Thescientists found the Omega-3 fatty acid contentwas highest when plants grew under low lightbut with many hours of light each day.

Based on these studies, the scientists cannow recommend ways to grow purslane so thatit is rich in Omega-3 fatty acid. In winter (lowlight intensity and short days), grow it in thegreenhouse and use lights to increase daylength. During summer (high light intensity and

long days), shade it to lower light intensity.SOURCE: Palaniswamy, U. (1998). Purslane: A power food of thefuture. Horticultural Impact. Vol. 98 (1), 1-2.

PURSLANE SALAD

4-6 Servings

Ingredients* 4 cups (1 liter ) young purslane plants* 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil* 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice* 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt* 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground black pepper* 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

Instructions1. Rinse and drain the purslane. Taste the stems.

If they have a mineral taste, then strip the

leaves off, and use only the leaves. Chop into3 /4 in (2 cm) pieces.

2. Add the oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt andpepper.

3. Toss and serve at once.

VariationAdd 1 cup (240 ml) of plain yogurt, 1 cup (240ml) chopped cucumber, and 2 tablespoon (30 ml)chopped fresh mint. Toss and serve.

Across1. The flowers of common purslane are

 ______.6. Common purslane belongs to this family.7. Common purslane has thick ______ stems.

Down2. The scientific name for common purslane is

Portulaca ______.3. Common purslane can be used as a ______.4. Common purslane is high in ______ acids.5. The ______ stems of common purslane

help it survive during dry periods.

SPOTLIGHTON RESEARCH

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“...” QUOTE

 “One man’s weed may be another man’s dinner.” Unknown author 

CAUTION: Never pick weeds to eat unless you are verysure you can identify them. Do not harvest weeds thatgrow near roadsides or that may have been sprayed withchemicals. These plants may not be safe to eat. Eat onlyyoung purslane leaves.

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