36 



Fig. 9. 

 Purslane, or Pursley. 

 / Portulaca oleracea (L). 



Purslane is pre-eminently a garden weed and is readily recog- 

 nized by its fleshy leaves and stem, which lie prostrate on the ground. 

 It is an annual. 



The stems are red, and the leaves wedge-shaped and clustered at 

 the ends of" branches. The flowers are bright yellow, about I in. 

 across and open only during full sunlight for a few hours in the 

 morning. The seeds (Fig. 9, a), in small capsules, are black, kidney- 

 shaped, and extremely small. An average plant produces 60,000 seeds 



Time of flowering, July, until frost. 



Time of seeding, August, until frost. 



Dispersal — by seeds. 



Purslane has been used as hog feed in very dry seasons, but the 

 cost of gathering it is too great. 



Eradication. Careful hoeing and constant cultivation. The 

 latter should be as early as possible. The same treatment should be 

 followed as that outlined for Foxtail (Fig. 1). 



