N. 0. PORTULACEÆ.
118. Portulaca oleracea, Linn, h.f.b.i., i. 246, Roxb. 391.
Sans. : — Loni,
Vern. : — Khursa, khurfa, kurfe-ka-sag, lonia, muncha, lunia, kurfa, munya, kulfa lunuk, nonkha, chhota-lunia, baralunia, luniya-kulfah; Seeds = khurfe-ke-bij (Hind.); Baraloniya, munya, chhotalunia, kulfi; Seed = tukhm-kulpha, baraloniya-bij (Beng.); Puruni-sag (Uriya); Mota uric alang (Santal.); Luniya, nunia lunak, desi-kulfah (U. P.); Luniya-kulfah, lunak (Kumaon); Lonak, kulfa, luniya, kundar; Seeds= dhamni (Pb.); Murlai, tursbuk, warkharai (Pushtu); Lonak (Sind.); Ghol, gholu, (C. P.); Kurfah, gol, moti ghol (Bom.); Bhuigholi (Mar.); Loni (Guz.); Khulfe-ki-bhaji; Seeds =khulfe-ke-binj (Dec); Parpu-kire, passelie kiray, caril-kiray, parupu, puropu-kiray, caric-kiray: Seeds = parpu-kire virai, pedda-pail-kuru, boddu- pavili kura, ganja-pavili-kura, batchali aku: Seeds = pappukura- vittula, pedda-pavila-kura vittulu, boddu-pavili kura-vittulu, (Tam.); Pappu-kura, pedda-pavili-kura, boddu-pavili-kura, ganga-pavili-kura (Tel.); Duda gorai (Kan.); Korie chira (Malay.); Kourfa kara-or, baqlatul humqa, buklut-ul-kukema, khurfa. Seeds = bazrul-baqlatul humqa (Arab.); Cholza, khur-fah, turuk, kurfah, kherefeh, turk: Seeds = tukhme-khurfa (Pers.).
Habitat : — Throughout India, in all warm climates. Found in the Himalaya. An abundant weed, in cultivated grounds, throughout Ceylon.
A short annual herb, with stout, glabrous, numerous, prostrate or ascending subsucculent branches, ½-1 ft. Leaves alternate, ¼-1½ in., rounded-truncate, crowded beneath the branches, oblong spathulate, very obtuse, thick pale and glistening beneath. Petiole very short. No stipular appendages. Infloresence of few-flowered terminal heads, either solitary or in dichotomous cymes. Flowers sessile, inconspicuous, with a few ovate, pointed, scarious scales. Petals 4-5, yellow, about
