Purslane - slippery purslane

Japanese: スベリヒユ - すべりひゆ

An annual plant of the Portulacaceae family (APG classification: Portulacaceae). It is fleshy and hairless throughout. The stem is red, creeping along the ground at the bottom and branching at the top, reaching a height of 15-30 cm. The leaves are alternate, obovate-elliptical, 1-2.5 cm long, rounded at the tip, wedge-shaped at the base, and short-stalked. From June to September, 3-5 small yellow flowers bloom among 4-5 bundles of leaves at the end of the branches. There are two bracts at the base, 5 perianth pieces that are obovate with a concave tip, and 7-12 stamens. The fruit is a operculum with a membranous texture, and the seeds are black and numerous. It is widely distributed in temperate and tropical regions around the world. The stems and leaves are edible.

[Junko Kobayashi February 17, 2021]

Cultural history

One of the prehistoric naturalized plants. Some believe that Ihai-izura (Iha Tametora, vol. 14, pp. 3378 and 3416) in the Manyoshu is suberslane (another theory is that it is water shield). It is a vegetable in China, India, and Europe, and there are improved cultivated varieties in India and Europe. The European upright purslane ( P. oleracea L. var. sativa DC.) has an upright stem and is large, growing 30-50 cm tall and with leaves up to 4 cm long, and the stems and leaves are used in salads or eaten boiled.

[Hiroshi Yuasa February 17, 2021]

Purslane
It grows on roadsides and bare ground throughout Japan. The stems are highly branched and creep along the ground. ©Shogakukan ">

Purslane

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

スベリヒユ科（APG分類：スベリヒユ科）の一年草。全体に肉質で、毛はない。茎は紅色を帯び、下部は地をはい、上部は分枝して高さ15～30センチメートル。葉は互生し、倒卵状楕円(だえん)形で長さ1～2.5センチメートル、先は円く、基部はくさび形で短柄となる。6～9月、枝先の束生葉4、5枚の中に、黄色の小花を3～5個開く。基部に2枚の包葉があり、花被片(かひへん)は5枚、倒卵形で先端はくぼみ、雄しべ7～12本。果実は蓋果(がいか)で膜質、種子は黒色で多数。全世界の温帯、熱帯に広く分布する。茎や葉は食用とする。

［小林純子　2021年2月17日］

文化史

史前帰化植物の一つ。『万葉集』のいはゐづら（伊波為都良、14巻3378、3416）をスベリヒユとする見方がある（別説ではジュンサイ）。中国、インド、ヨーロッパなどでは野菜で、インドやヨーロッパには改良された栽培品種がある。ヨーロッパのタチスベリヒユ（オオスベリヒユ）P. oleracea L. var. sativa DC.は茎が立ち、大形で、高さ30～50センチメートル、葉の長さ4センチメートルにもなり、茎葉をサラダにするか、煮て食べる。

［湯浅浩史　2021年2月17日］

スベリヒユ

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