Flora Palaestina Ethnobotany

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Common Purslane, Garden Purslane, Green Purslane, Little Hogweed, Pigface, Pigweed, Purslane, Pusley

Family

Portulacaceae

Synonym(s)

English name(s)

Common Purslane
Garden Purslane
Green Purslane
Little Hogweed
Pigface
Pigweed
Purslane
Pusley

Hebrew Name(s)

ragelet ha-gina
regelat ha-gina

רְגֵלַת הַגִּנָּה

Arabic Name(s)

baqleh بقلة
farfahina فرفحينا
hummad حماض
irjeleh أرجيلة
rijla رجلة
rijliyeh رجلية

Life Form

Annual

Habitat

Cultivated areas (weeds)

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Medicinal Complaints / Uses

Portulaca oleracea L.

System/State	Traditional Complaint/Use	Activity / Interpretation	Traditional Preparation/ Administration	Parts Used	Source
Cardiovascular	Chest & heart pain	Analgesic, Cardiac	Prepare infusion of seeds & drink.	Seed	Z
Cardiovascular	High blood pressure	Hypotensive	Prepare infusion from 10 gm dried aerial parts to 1 cup boiling water & drink a small dose daily. If using over long period, stop for 8 days then restart to avoid toxicity.	Aerial parts	B
Dermatological	Eczema	Anti-inflammatory	Grind aerial parts & apply to affected areas.	Aerial parts	B
Dermatological	Strengthen hair against hair loss	Hair restorer	Fry seeds + wheat grains + "barhang" (Plantago sp. seeds), grind mixture + sugar & eat.	Seed	Z
Endocrine/ Metabolic	Diabetes mellitus	Hypoglycemic	Preparation/ Admin. not specified.	Aerial parts	Z
Gastrointestinal	Diarrhea	Anti-Infective, Anti-diarrheal	Warm seeds in almond oil + "barhang" (Plantago sp. seeds) & drink.	Seed	Z
Gastrointestinal	Gastric ulcer & hematemesis (bleeding ulcer)	Anti-ulcer	Eat plant. (Preparation not specified.)	Aerial parts	Z
Gastrointestinal	Liver congestion	Hepatic	Preparation/ Admin. not specified.	Aerial parts	Z
Gastrointestinal	Supress heart burn; good for stomach	Antacid	Eat plant. (Preparation not specified.)	Aerial parts	Z
Haematology	Iron deficiency anaemia	Anti-anaemic	Eat fresh aerial parts with meal.	Aerial parts	B
Kidney & Urinary Tract	Diuretic	Diuretic	Eat plant (Preparation not specified.)	Aerial parts	Z
Kidney & Urinary Tract	Kidney inflammation	Anti-inflammatory	Preparation/ Admin. not specified.	Aerial parts	Z
Kidney & Urinary Tract	Urinary obstruction	Deobstruent	Cook plant in water + chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) & drink.	Aerial parts	Z
Oral Health	Toothache	Analgesic	Decoct 5-6 leaves in 1 cup of water & soak for 20 min; use as a mouth rinse for 15 min/day until healed.	Leaf	B
Venoms, Bites & Stings	Bee stings	Ant-venom	Grind aerial parts & apply to sting.	Aerial parts	B

Notes

Z notes that Portulaca oleracea is edible & used in salads. (See Cautions)

Cautions

Portulaca oleracea contains high levels of oxalic acid & should be used with caution in patients with kidney & gall stones. It interferes with the absorption of calcium. Portulaca oleracea also accumulates nitrates at toxic levels & may cause poisoning in sheep & goats. In humans it may be toxic over time although there is currently a lack of confirmatory studies on this.

The authors of FLORAPALE, (Flora Palaestina Ethnobotanical) web site do not take responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of the plants described here. Always seek advice from a health professional before using a plant medicinally or for other purposes. See DISCLAIMER.