Herbarium JCB

Portulaca oleracea L.

Family : PORTULACACEAE
(PURSLANE FAMILY)
Family (as per The Plant List) : Portulacaceae
Species : Portulaca oleracea
Species Name (as per The Plant List) : Portulaca oleracea L.
Common name : Common Purselane
Vernacular name : Khursa, Baralaniya, Khulpha (Hin.); Dodda Goni soppu (Kan.); Vazhukkaikeerai, Pasalakeerai, Karikeerai, Pulikeerai (Tam.); Payalaku, Pedda payili-kura, Ganga pavili-kura, Pappu koora (Tel.); Parunigag, Bada balbaluva (Ori.)
Key identification features : A small ground-hugging succulent herb with reddish stem. Flowers less than 1 cm in dia., remain open till mid-day. Fruit is small, somewhat globose and dehisces with the upper half of the wall coming off like a cap when mature.
Habit : Herb
Flower, Fruit : Throughout the Year
Comments : Common in moist and shady localities. Leaf is edible and used as a vegetable.
Conservation Status : Not Evaluated (NE)
Distribution Locality : Throughout Eastern Ghats
World Distribution : Pantropical
Literature : Pullaiah et al., 2002 - Flora of Eastern Ghats Vol. 1; H.O. Saxena & M. Brahmam, 1994- Flora of Orissa Vol. 1 ; R. S. Rao et al., 1986 - Flora of West Godavari District ; R. S. Rao and S. H. Sreeramulu, 1986 - Flora of Srikakulam District; H. O. Saxena and M. Brahmam, 1989 - The Flora of Similipal, Orissa; N.P.Singh, 1988. Flora of Eastern Karnataka; Franklin Benjamin & G.V.S.Murthy, 2013. Flora of Sri Venkateswara National Park, Andhra Pradesh, BSI.; Matthew, K.M., The Flora of Tamil Nadu Carnatic, Vol.3 (1). Diocesan Press, Madras. 1983.
Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Arun Singh R., Deepak Kumar, Raja K Swamy and Navendu Page (2016). Digital Flora of Eastern Ghats. http://easternghats.ces.iisc.ernet.in/plants.php?name=Portulaca oleracea. Downloaded on 2 April 2025.