I lived on a beach in Crete for a month, long ago, and the lady running the beach restaurant put purslane in her Greek salad. Yum! I miss it. So pretty, too. Have to get some seeds.
My best description is in the article. It's very distinctive. Some markets sell purslane in the produce section, and you could peel off some leaves, stick the stem into soil and it will root.
Great advice on spurge. I haven't encountered any spurge that I would mistake for purslane because the spurges around here are not that similar to purslane. But, some I have seen in photos could fool people.
Euphorbiaceae is a pretty amazing family. It's all about the therapeutic index. In the U.S., spurge rhymes with purge. :-D Very strong laxative. There are some kinds, like the caper spurge which have more antispasmodic activity, which is why they'd be useful for asthma.
(That link of purging and asthma efficacy exists with Lobelia, which is our famous puke weed. )
Yaaaaa, once you've actually seen the purslane up close and picked it, the spurges don't really fool ya anymore.
For all newbies, knowing about the the little stem hairs, the white fluid from the stems, and the non-succulent leaves will prevent mistaking spurge for the hairless, succulent purslane.
Although spurges have some sure interesting medicinal qualities! Ive memorised it alongside mullein for asthma relief, and fig sap for skin cancer treatment.
I lived on a beach in Crete for a month, long ago, and the lady running the beach restaurant put purslane in her Greek salad. Yum! I miss it. So pretty, too. Have to get some seeds.
or cuttings. They root easily
How do you tell it's the edible kind? I have seen it out on the prairie, but maybe that's another species?
My best description is in the article. It's very distinctive. Some markets sell purslane in the produce section, and you could peel off some leaves, stick the stem into soil and it will root.
Great advice on spurge. I haven't encountered any spurge that I would mistake for purslane because the spurges around here are not that similar to purslane. But, some I have seen in photos could fool people.
Euphorbiaceae is a pretty amazing family. It's all about the therapeutic index. In the U.S., spurge rhymes with purge. :-D Very strong laxative. There are some kinds, like the caper spurge which have more antispasmodic activity, which is why they'd be useful for asthma.
(That link of purging and asthma efficacy exists with Lobelia, which is our famous puke weed. )
Yaaaaa, once you've actually seen the purslane up close and picked it, the spurges don't really fool ya anymore.
For all newbies, knowing about the the little stem hairs, the white fluid from the stems, and the non-succulent leaves will prevent mistaking spurge for the hairless, succulent purslane.
Although spurges have some sure interesting medicinal qualities! Ive memorised it alongside mullein for asthma relief, and fig sap for skin cancer treatment.