74 FARM WEEDS OF CANADA 



PURSLANE {Portulaca oleracea L.) 



Other English names: Pusley, Wild Portulaca. 



Introduced from Europe. Annual. A fleshy, prostrate, 

 perfectly smooth plant, freely branching from a single central 

 root, with fleshy reddish stems and dark green, alternate, obovate 

 or wedge-shaped leaves mainly clustered at the ends of the 

 branches. Flowers stalkless, solitary, about 1/4 inch across, 

 yellow, opening only on sunny mornings. Fruit capsule mem- 

 branous, many-seeded, the top coming ofl" as the lid of a box. 



The seed (Plate 73, fig. 24), black, roughened but shining, 

 about 1/40 of an inch in diameter, narrowly kidney-shaped, 

 much as in the Pink family, and, like the seeds of most of the 

 members of that family, with a curved germ running around the 

 outside of the seed. 



Time of flowering: July till frost; seeds ripening during the 

 greater part of that time. 



Propagation: By seeds. The fleshy leaves and stems give 

 it such vitality that flowering plants hoed out and left on the 

 ground will continue ripening seeds for weeks. 



Occurrence: In rich land, particularly in gardens. Most 

 abundant in the eastern provinces, constantly being introduced 

 into new localities with seeds. It is now found in gardens in 

 most parts of Canada. 



Injury: The noxious nature of this persistent pest is due to 

 its ability to produce large numbers of seeds that retain their 

 vitality for several years. The seeds do not germinate until the 

 soil has become quite warm, and they are able to produce seedling 

 plants only when brought quite close to the surface. It is 

 especially troublesome late in the season in gardens and hoed 

 crops. When young and tender the plants are sometimes used 

 as a pot herb and are of value as green food for pigs. 



Remedy: Bare summer-fallow with frecjuont cultivation. 

 Clean cultivation of hoed crops; the late general cultivation 



