Purslane (dandur)

The plant belongs to the Purslane family, which includes both perennials and annual herbs. The origin of the name is associated with the Latin word "portula". It means "gate" and is associated with the peculiarities of the opening of the seed pods of the plant.

Another name for purslane is "dandur". For the ability to spread some types of purslane on the ground with a beautiful flower "carpet", the plant is also called "rugs".

• Purslane is a herbaceous plant with an average height of up to 30 cm, although there are varieties up to 40 cm high.
• The purslane stem is smooth, strongly branched, fleshy, reddish in color. It is upright, but it can also creep along the ground.
• Dandur leaves are neat and miniature (their length is up to 3 cm).
• The plant blooms in June with small flowers up to 4 cm in diameter, which can grow collected in 2-5 flowers or singly. Their shape is similar to a peony, and the smell is pleasant and slightly sweet. Their color can be white, pink, yellow, red or any other color. In some varieties, flowers combine several shades at once. The plant blooms until frost.
• Its fruits are represented by small boxes with small gray seeds.

Purslane is represented by more than 200 species and many varieties that differ in flower color.On the territory of the CIS, the following types of purslane are most common:

An annual of small height (up to 30 centimeters) with very branched stems, single or collected in groups of light yellow flowers. This purslane blooms all summer, and its stems and leaves are edible.

An annual with decumbent stems and single large flowers of different colors (white, yellow, red, and others). The height of such a purslane is also up to 30 cm. This plant can be used both for food and as an ornamental.

Note that purslane is both a vegetable and an ornamental crop. That is why it is grown for different purposes. However, if you are looking for a beautiful plant for your flower beds, it is better to choose a large-flowered purslane, and if you need a vegetable for a variety of nutrition or are interested in the medicinal effect of a plant, grow garden purslane.

The homeland of the plant is India, but in nature it can also be found on the territory of Brazil, Argentina, France. Wild species of purslane grow on sandy soils and in damp places. The plant can be seen in the garden, in the field, on the banks of the river, in the garden. Purslane came to Europe in the 19th century. Although the plant is a perennial, it is grown as an annual. Now purslane is cultivated in the Baltic countries, in Altai, in Asian countries, in Belarus and even in Siberia.

• The stems of the plant are very branched.
• Purslane is grown for various purposes - both to decorate the garden, and to eat as a vegetable crop, and for medical purposes.
• Landscape designers use the plant to decorate retaining stone walls, conceal joints in concrete slabs, as a discount, and as a lawn replacement.
• Young stems and leaves of purslane have a pleasant smell and a slightly sour taste.
• The plant loves warmth and easily copes with drought.
• Dandura greens improve appetite and increase tone.

100 grams of purslane contains:

The plant is rich

• amino acids (valine, serine, threonine, glutamic acid, alanine and others);
• vitamins (group B, vitamin C, vitamin A);
• macronutrients (magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, sodium);
• trace elements (zinc, iron, copper, selenium, manganese).

Purslane for its benefits began to appreciate in ancient times. The plant is very tasty and very useful:

• Purslane contains proteins that include all the amino acids necessary for the functioning of the body.
• The sucrose, glucose and galactose contained in the plant are also beneficial for the body.
• Organic acids found in purslane are important for normal metabolic processes.
• When taking preparations made from dandur, you saturate the body with important minerals.
• The leaves of the plant contain a lot of carotene, vitamin C and flavonoids. By adding them to a salad, you can cope with scurvy.
• The fresh juice of the plant has properties to heal wounds and deal with eye infections.
• Purslane is also used in cosmetology.

Purslane runs wild quite quickly. Its seeds are comparable in germination to the seeds of amaranth, wheatgrass and other weeds. That is why when growing purslane in one garden bed, you will soon see that the plant has appeared in neighboring areas.Because of this, for a long time the plant was considered only a weed by gardeners.

• Purslane has a slightly tart and spicy flavor similar to that of spinach and sorrel. Young shoots have moderate pungency.
• The plant is used in oriental cooking, it is consumed in Asia, the Mediterranean countries, and the Caucasus.
• Dandur is fried, stewed, dried, eaten raw or boiled. It can also be pickled, salted or canned.
• The plant is added fresh to salads.
• Purslane goes well with meat.
• You can add any herbs to it.
• For breakfast, you can bake purslane with an egg.

Due to its medicinal properties, purslane is used in traditional medicine. For medicinal purposes, both stems and purslane seeds are used.

Indications for the use of purslane are:

• Kidney diseases.
• Diabetes.
• Eye diseases.
• Liver problems.
• Purulent wounds (make a compress from fresh leaves).
• Impotence.
• Insect and snake bites.
• Insomnia.
• Scurvy.
• Flatulence.
• Internal bleeding.
• Dysentery.
• Trichomonas colpitis.
• Scaly lichen (use seeds).

The plant due to its low calorie content can be included in the diet. Due to its ability to reduce cholesterol and sugar levels, purslane is recommended for older people. Purslane also has antibacterial properties (the plant helps to cope with salmonella and shigella), diuretic and antipyretic effects.

• Purslane seeds are edible (they can be used like sunflower seeds).
• The plant for its rich and bright color, as well as ease of cultivation, is in demand in gardens, on alpine hills, for decorating balconies, in flower beds.

• Hypertension.
• Bradycardia.
• Individual intolerance.
• VSD.
• History of seizures.

Remember that the plant is medicinal, so it is eaten up to 200 grams per day. Before treatment with purslane, it is worth consulting with an experienced herbalist.

Purslane grows well in sandy open ground with low fertility and good moisture permeability. In heavy clay soils, the roots of the plant rot. The place for growing purslane should be well lit.

The plant can be propagated both by seeds (they are sown in March) and by cuttings.

Seeds are best placed in a substrate, which is a mixture of sand (preferably coarse-grained), leafy and soddy soil. The substrate should be moistened and rolled a little. There should be drainage at the bottom of pots or boxes, such as gravel. Peat should not be added to the substrate (seeds will not sprout) or organic fertilizers (seedlings will get sick with a fungus).

After sowing, the pots are covered with film or glass, but the material must be transparent (the plant needs enough light). Seedlings are watered from a spray bottle. As soon as they appeared, the film is removed. Seedlings are thinned out when the sprouts have reached a height of 25 mm. Seedlings are transferred to the ground in June, while 15-20 cm are left between plants.

It is optimal to use cuttings about five centimeters long, embedding them to a depth of up to three centimeters.

The plant should be regularly weeded, thinned and watered. If you grow a garden purslane, then, cutting off its greens, the plant should be fed with infusion of ash. The plant is disease resistant and rarely attacked by aphids or whiteflies (use insecticides).

• Avicenna knew about the healing effect of purslane. He called for the use of the plant for dysentery, insomnia and snake bites.
• In Russia, there was an opinion that by placing dandur grass in a bed, you can get rid of any dreams.
• In the 19th century, purslane began to be used to suppress libido, adding to food in significant quantities.