Portulaca oleracea L. sp. Pl a small herb of religious and medicinal significance

Abstract

The genus Portulaca L. is known world wide as Pursalane representative of the family Portuacaceae in this part (eastern) of India. The genus in represented by the three species namely Portulaca quadrifida, P. oleracea and P. pilosa. All the three species have their own economical horticultural and medicinal uses. P. oleracea is a pot herb and is used by the locals as sag. P. oleracea is a smaller variety and is called choti Nunia. It has a religious significance in the sence that it is very saught after in “Gitiya” festival where it is eaten by the fasting mothers. P. pilosa sub sps. grandiflora is a well known ornamental herb (Saxena and Brahman, 1994).