Purslane, Portulaca oleracea

for treating nervous conditions including: hyperactivity, senile dementia, panic, and schizophrenia. Eye and Ear Problems: Pulsatilla possesses many properties that are beneficial to the eyes and ears. The tea is useful in treating cataracts, conjunctivitis, glaucoma, and tics. The tea is also used to treat earaches, hearing loss and inflammations of the ear. Heart Health: Pulsatilla is beneficial to the heart in numerous ways. It is used to cure thickening of the heart muscle and clear venous congestion. It relieves inflammation in the circulatory system and helps restore normal function. However, it should not be used for people with slow heart rates (bradycardia). Drug Withdrawal: Pulsatilla is useful to help with withdrawal from sedatives, hypnotic drugs, anticonvulsants, and muscle relaxants. Be careful to give only the prescribed dosages of Pulsatilla Infusion or tincture. Harvesting: Pick Pulsatilla flowering stalks and leaves when the plant is in full bloom, usually in the early spring near Easter. Warning: Pulsatilla should never be used internally for pregnant women. Given in large doses, Pulsatilla can be harmful and may cause coma, seizures, asphyxiation, and death. It can also cause a slowing of the heart rate. Wear gloves when harvesting Pulsatilla flower heads. Use only the dried flower heads and dried leaves in herbal preparations. The fresh herb is an irritant. Recipes. Pulsatilla and Echinacea Tea: 1/2 teaspoon dried Pulsatilla flowers, 1 teaspoon dried Echinacea root and leaves and 1 cup boiling water. Pour the boiling water over the herbs and allow them to steep for 10 minutes. Strain and drink.

Purslane is another of those backyard weeds that is under appreciated. While it is usually considered a weed, it is an excellent groundcover, vegetable, and medicine. I love to eat it in a salad. It has a salty, sour flavor that adds variety with its taste and texture. It is in the Portulacaceae (Purslane) Family and is also called common purslane, pigweed, little hogweed, verdolaga, or red root. Identification: Portulaca oleracea is a succulent that sprawls along the ground. It grows about 6 inches tall (15 cm) in a wide mat. Purslane stems are smooth and reddish or pink. The deep green thick leaves grow in groups at the stem joints and ends. Leaves can be alternate or opposite. Small yellow flowers, growing in clusters of two or three, appear in late summer and open for a few hours on sunny mornings. Each flower has five parts and is up to 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) wide. Seeds form in tiny pods that open when the seeds are mature. The plant has a deep taproot and fibrous secondary roots. These help it survive poor soils and periods of drought. It prefers a sunny spot with dry soil. Edible Use: Purslane has a sour, salty flavor and can be a little bitter when leaves are mature. Purslane leaves, stems, and flowers are edible raw, cooked, and pickled. When cooked like spinach, it can be a bit slimy. Cooked purslane does not shrink as much as most greens, so a small patch can provide vegetables for an entire family. The leaves can be pickled to provide purslane during the winter months. Seeds can be collected and ground into a flour.

Purslane by JeffSKleinman, CC SA 4.0