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Useful Tropical Plants

Portulaca kermesina

N.E.Br.

Portulacaceae

+ Synonyms

Portulaca crocodilorum Poelin.

Portulaca fischeri prominens Poelin.

Portulaca holosericea Peter

Portulaca rubriflora Poelin.

Common Name:

Portulaca kermesina

General Information

Portulaca kermesina is an erect annual or short-lived perennial, succulent plant usually growing 8 - 15cm tall, occasionally to 25cm[
328
Title
African Flowering Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
Publisher
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

308
Title
Flora Zambesiaca
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.

Range

Eastern and Southern Africa - Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, eastern DR Congo, Tanzania, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, S. Mozambique, S. Africa.

Habitat

Dry sandy or gravelly soils among rocks; open woodland or margins of pans and seasonal swamps; Acacia-Commiphora bushland; in crevices of granite outcrops; at elevations from sea level to 2,200 metres[
328
Title
African Flowering Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
Publisher
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *
HabitAnnual/Perennial
Height0.12 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant is probably antibacterial or disinfectant[
775
Title
Gemsbok Bean and Kalahari Truffle
Publication
 
Author
Leffers A.
Publisher
Gamsberg MacMillan; Namibia.
Year
2003
ISBN
99916-0-491-X
Description
Details of the traditional uses of over 200 species of plants in northeastern Namibia. Written for the non-expert, there is usually at least one photograph with each plant entry.
]. The whole plant is dried and then pulverised. The resulting powder is then mixed with an oil or fat and rubbed on to affected areas of the skin in the treatment of irritations such as scabies or itching[
775
Title
Gemsbok Bean and Kalahari Truffle
Publication
 
Author
Leffers A.
Publisher
Gamsberg MacMillan; Namibia.
Year
2003
ISBN
99916-0-491-X
Description
Details of the traditional uses of over 200 species of plants in northeastern Namibia. Written for the non-expert, there is usually at least one photograph with each plant entry.
]. The crushed and infused leaves are used to make a wash for the same purposes[
775
Title
Gemsbok Bean and Kalahari Truffle
Publication
 
Author
Leffers A.
Publisher
Gamsberg MacMillan; Namibia.
Year
2003
ISBN
99916-0-491-X
Description
Details of the traditional uses of over 200 species of plants in northeastern Namibia. Written for the non-expert, there is usually at least one photograph with each plant entry.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Portulaca+kermesina>

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