Effect:
Blood purifying, metabolism stimulating, antifungal
Areas of application:
Heartburn, bleeding, rashes, cough, burning pain when urinating, cystitis, uterine bleeding, asthma, bronchial problems, athlete's foot, tinea cruris, ringworm, lowers cholesterol levels, stomach cancer, colon adenoma
Plant parts used:
Leaves
Collection time:
From around June, do not collect after the flowering period as the leaves already taste bitter.
To find:
For us as a garden plant, its home country is India.
Ingredients:
Vitamins, bitter substances, minerals
Other:
Purslane belongs to the purslane family, is an annual and grows up to 30 cm high. It is a succulent plant that spreads to the ground. The stems are smooth and reddish or pink. The deep green, thick leaves grow in groups at the stem joints and stem ends. The leaves can be alternate or opposite. Small yellow flowers that grow in clusters of two or three appear in late summer and open for only a few hours on sunny mornings. Each flower has five parts and is up to 0.6 cm wide. The seeds form in tiny pods that open when ripe. The plant has deep taproots and fibrous secondary roots. These help it survive on poor soils and during periods of drought.
In the kitchen, purslane is used as a salad, as a cooked vegetable or added to vegetable strudel or herb soup. Don't use the flowering plants anymore, the leaves will taste too bitter, otherwise purslane will taste sour and salty.