Practical
Plants

Portulaca grandiflora

Rose Moss

an annual member of the Portulaca genus in the family Portulacaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual
Height
0.2 m
Spread
0.15 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Insects, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects, Self

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves - raw or cooked[2][3][5]. Seed - raw or cooked. It can be ground into a powder and used in soups etc, or can be added to cereals[2][3][5]. The seed is very small and fiddly to utilize. Root - cooked[5].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root
Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The entire plant is depurative[4]. It is used in the treatment of hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver with ascites, swelling and pain in the pharynx[4]. The fresh juice of the leaves and stems is applied externally as a lotion to snake and insect bites, burns, scalds and eczema[4][8].

Product or use
Depurative

Environment

Range
S. America - Brazil. Occasionally established in S. and S.C. Europe.
Habitat
Roadsides and waste places in Europe[9].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse, pricking out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Plant out after the last expected frosts. The seed can also be sown in situ in late spring, though the plants will not grow so large this way.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a rather dry poor soil in full sun[1][7]. Succeeds in a hot dry position, and dislikes wet soils[K]. Although a perennial when grown in warmer climates than Britain, it is best treated as a half-hardy annual in this country[1]. There are some named forms selected for their ornamental value[6].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

    ↩1↩2

  4. Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩

  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩

  8. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩

  9. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

    ↩

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