This Indian annual (fig. 511) has juicy stems and leaves which are eaten cooked, or raw as a salad, and are sometimes pickled. Seeds may be sown in April or May, and monthly till August, in warm sunny spots, in drills about 9 in. apart, for a supply in summer and autumn. Early supplies are obtained by sowing on hotbeds from December to March. The varieties known include the "Green", a vigorous form of the common type; the "Golden", with yellowish leaves; and the "Large-leaved Golden", which has leaves at least twice as large as those of the others.

Fig. 511. - Purslane (Portulaca oleracea).