What are the common cultivated varieties of purslane?

Purslane, an annual herb, is cultivated throughout the country. The whole plant can be used medicinally, with effects of clearing heat and draining dampness, detoxifying and reducing swelling, reducing inflammation, quenching thirst, and promoting urination. Its seeds have the effect of improving eyesight, and it can be used as veterinary medicine and pesticide, while its tender stems and leaves can be used as a vegetable. It has a wide range of uses and significant economic benefits, and many people like to grow it, so what are the common cultivated varieties? Do you know? Let's learn about them together.

1. Large-flowered purslane

Large-flowered purslane is native to Brazil and is now often cultivated in parks and flower gardens in our country. It is a beautiful flowering plant with strong reproductive capacity and can be propagated by sowing and cuttings. The plant height is 10-30cm, the flower diameter can reach 5cm, the flower colors are diverse, and the flower types include single-petaled and double-petaled. As long as the climate is warm, it can bloom all year round. The whole plant can be used medicinally, with effects of dispersing blood stasis and relieving pain, clearing heat, and detoxifying and reducing swelling, and is used for sore throat, scalds, and bruises.

2. Hairy purslane

Hairy purslane is an annual or perennial herb. Its plant height is 5-20cm, its branches and stems are numerous and mostly spread on the ground, and its flowers are about 2cm in diameter, red-purple in color, with a relatively short flowering period from May to August. It generally grows on seaside sandy land and open ground, has strong drought tolerance, and likes an environment with sufficient sunlight.

3. Portulaca grandiflora

Portulaca grandiflora is a relatively famous variety among purslanes. It is an erect herb with a plant height of 15-20cm, unbranched or with few branches, square stems, and no hairs. It is also known as sun flower and pine-leaf peony, because it only blooms in an environment with sufficient sunlight, and when it blooms it looks very much like a peony. It has many flower colors and also has two flower types, single-petaled and double-petaled. Multiple colors can appear on the same flower, and its ornamental value is relatively high. The whole plant can be used medicinally, with effects of cooling blood and detoxifying, reducing swelling, and clearing heat and draining dampness, and can treat hematemesis, sore throat, lung abscess, boils, pestilence, snake bites, and other conditions.

4. Purple rice grains

Also known as rice-grain flower, purple rice, and purple pearl, it is a succulent plant from South America, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, and other places. In appearance it is somewhat similar to Portulaca grandiflora, as if Portulaca grandiflora had been shrunk. Its leaves are rice-grain shaped. In cool periods, under sunlight, they will slowly turn purplish-red and also produce a purple halo, which is why it is named purple rice grains.

The above is an introduction to the common cultivated varieties of purslane. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please follow us.