Pankaj Oudhia’s Notes on Portulaca oleracea L. [Kirtikar, Kanhoba Ranchoddas, and Baman Das Basu. "Indian Medicinal Plants." Indian Medicinal Plants. (1918)].

Pankaj Oudhia’s Notes on Portulaca oleracea L. [Kirtikar, Kanhoba Ranchoddas, and Baman Das Basu. "Indian Medicinal Plants." Indian Medicinal Plants. (1918)].

Pankaj Oudhia

Introduction

Based on Ethnobotanical surveys since year 1990 in different parts of India Pankaj Oudhia has documented vital information about Medicinal Plants mentioned in the famous publication by Kirtikar and Basu (1918). Through this research document Pankaj Oudhia has tried to present original document with additional notes. For complete paper with pictures, Interactive Tables, Video and Audio clips please visit pankajoudhia.com

For original publication by Kirtikar and Basu (1918) please visit https://archive.org/details/indianmedicinalp01kirt

118. Portulaca oleracea, Linn, h.f.b.i., i. 246,

Roxb. 391.

Sans. : — Loni,

Vern. : — Khursa, khurfa, kurfe-ka-sag, Ionia, ranncha,

lunia, kurfa, munya, kulfa lunuk, nonkha, chhota-lunia, bara-

lunia, luniya-kulfah; Seeds — kliurfe-ke-bij (Hind.); Baraloniya,

munya, chhotalunia, kulfi ; Seed = tukhm-kulpha, baraloniya-bij

(Beng.) ; Puruni-sag (Uriya) ; Mota uric alang (Santal.) ; Luniya,

nunia lunak, desi-kulfali (U. P.) ; Luniya-kulfah, lunak

(Kumaon) ; Lonak, kulfa, luniya, kundar ; Seeds— dhamni (Pb.) ;

Murlai, tursbuk, warkharai (Pushtu) ; Lonak (Sind.) ; Ghol,

gholu, (C. P.) ; Kurfah, gol, raoti ghol (Bom.) ; Bhuigholi (Mar.) ;

Loni (Guz.) ; Khulfe-ki-bhaji ; Seeds =khulfe-ke-binj (Dec);

Parpu-kire, passelie kiray, caril-kiray, parupu, puropu-kiray,

caric-kiray : Seeds = parpu-kire virai, pedda-pail-kuru, boddu-

pavili kura, ganja-pavili-kura, batchali aku : Seeds = pappukura-

vittula, pedda-pavila-kura vittulu, boddu-pavili kura-vittulu,

(Tarn.) ; Pappu-kura, pedcla-pavili-kura, boddu-pavili-kura,

ganga-pavili-kura (Tel.) ; Duda gorai (Kan.) ; Korie chira

(Malay.) ; Kourfa kara-or, baqlatul humqa, buklut-ul-kukema,

khurfa. Seeds — bazrul-baqlatul humqa (Arab.) ; Cholza, khur-

fah, turuk, kurfah, kherefeh, turk : Seeds = tukhme-khurfa

(Pers.).

Habitat : — Throughout India, in all warm climates. Found

in the Himalaya. An abundant weed, in cultivated grounds,

throughout Ceylon.

A short annual herb, with stout, glabrous, numerous,

prostrate or ascending subsucculent branches, |-1 ft. Leaves

alternate, J-1J in., rounded-truncate, crowded beneath the

branches, oblong spathulate, very obtuse, thick pale and

glistening beneath. Petiole very short. No stipular append-

ages. Infloresence of few-flowered terminal heads, either solitary

or in dichotomous cymes. Flowers sessile, inconspicuous, with

a few ovate, pointed, scarious scales. Petals 4-5, yellow, about

136 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS.

equalling the sepals, very delicate or soon falling off or 0«

Stamens 8-12. Style 3-8-iid. Capsule dehiscent transversely,

inclosed in sepals, the free portions of which also separate by

transverse division and come away with the lid. Seeds

numerous, muricate, dark brown. The flowers are yellow and

open only for a few hours in the morning. Flowers all the year

round.

Parts used :— The plant, leaves, and seeds, [Pankaj Oudhia’s Comment: All parts are used as medicine.]

Uses : — The plant has long been used as a domestic

remedy by the Hindus, and was early noticed by European

writers. Ainslie writes thus of P. quadrifida which posesses

the same properties: — "The bruised fresh leaves of this acid

and pleasant-tasted purslane are prescribed by the Tamool

practitioners as an external application in akki, erysipelas ; an

infusion of them is also ordered as a diuretic in dysuria, to the

extent of half-a-tea-cupful twice daily." He further mentions

that in Jamaica, P. oleracea is employed as a cooling and

moistening herb in " burning fevers." Bruised, it is applied

to the temples to allay " excessive heat " and pain, and that

the juice is " of use in spitting of blood." Dymock says that

both species are supposed by Arabian and Persian writers

to be cold and moist, and to have detergent and astringent

properties. The plant and seeds are recommended by them

in a great many diseases of the kidneys, bladder, and lungs,

which are supposed to be caused by hot or bilious humours.

They are also praised as an external application in burns,

scalds, and various forms of skin disease (Mat. Med., W. Ind.).

Moodeen Sheriff describes the seeds as demulcent, slightly

astringent, and diuretic ; the leaves as refrigerant, astringent,

diuretic, and emollient. He believes, both to be " very useful"

in some cases of strangury, dysuria, irritation of the bladder,

hgematuria, hsematemesis, haemoptysis, and gonorrhoea. " In

addition to this," he writes, " the seeds seem to have some

beneficial influences over the mucous membrane of the intestinal

canal, and therefore relieve tormina, tenesmus, and other dis-

tressing symptoms in many cases of dysentery and mucous

diarrhoea. This is particularly the case when they are combined

[Pankaj Oudhia’s Comment: Through Ethnobotanical surveys I have collected information about over 38000 Herbal Formulations for treatment of advanced stages of respiratory diseases in which Portulaca is added as quaternary ingredient. In many Formulations based on the condition of the patients Portulaca is added as secondary or tertiary ingredient. Portulaca is popular as medicine for skin diseases among the expert Traditional Healers. In over 25000 Herbal Formulations for skin diseases Portulaca is added as septenary ingredient. Its efficacy in treatment of vitiligo specially at early stage and with reputed herbs like Bemchi, Dauna, Memri and Dhekna Jadi is known since generations. In over 7000 Herbal Formulations Portulaca is added as nonary ingredient. These Formulations are used for Hypertension. Please see Tables Portulaca-1 to Portulaca-180 for details.]   

E-documents on Portulaca

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=earticleList&Author=oudhia&Text=Portulaca

N. 0. POKTIJLACE^. ]

Qi

with some other drugs of similar nature." He recommends

the -fresh succulent leaves as a cooling external application in

the place of ice or cold lotion. The seeds and juice of the

fresh leaves may be best administered in the form of a draught,

from thirty grains to one drachm of the former, and from one

to two fluid ounces of the latter (obtained by pressing the

leaves) being the dose. He recommends either of these as

substitutes for spirits of nitrous ether, Pareira-brava, tragacantb,

elm-bark, rhatany, copaiba, and ice.

By Natives generally at the present day, the herb is chiefly

valued as a refrigerant and alterative pot herb, particularly

useful as an article of diet in scurvy and liver disease. In

addition to the properties above detailed, the seeds are believed

in the Punjab to be vermifuge.

The juice of the stems may be applied with advantage to

prickly heat, as well as to the hands and feet when a burning

sensation is felt.

Citation

Oudhia, Pankaj (2013). Pankaj Oudhia’s Notes on Portulaca oleracea L. [Kirtikar, Kanhoba Ranchoddas, and Baman Das Basu. "Indian Medicinal Plants." Indian Medicinal Plants. (1918)]. www.pankajoudhia.com