False ginseng is a dual-purpose ingredient in medicine and food, also known as "soil ginseng", "soil foreign ginseng", and "ginseng vegetable". It is the rhizome of the wild plant Lulan, named after its resemblance to ginseng, so it is also called false ginseng. Now let's learn about the application value and cultivation methods of false ginseng.
Image of false ginseng
Identification of false ginseng:
False ginseng is the root of the Portulaca oleracea, a plant in the family Portulacaceae. It is also called "soil ginseng" or "water ginseng", and has other names such as "participating grass", "soil foreign ginseng", and "Lulan".
False ginseng is named after its thick main root, which resembles ginseng. If it is used for consumption, it is best to harvest it when the new seedlings are thriving or when new leaves are growing.
Stem: False ginseng has a smooth and hairless stem, with soft and juicy stem leaves that are fleshy. The stem can grow up to about 60 cm, with multiple branches at the base. The main root is thick and cylindrical or spindle-shaped, with a brownish-brown or blackish-brown outer appearance.
Leaves: The leaves are opposite, with short petioles or almost no petioles. The leaf blade is inverted ovate or inverted ovate-oblong, 5-7 cm long and 2-3.5 cm wide. The base gradually narrows, and the apex is sharp or blunt and rounded, with entire margins.
Flowers: The inflorescence is cone-shaped, borne on the top of the branched stem. The peduncle is purple-green or dark green, and the flowers are small, numerous, and light purple-red, with a diameter of about 0.6 cm. The flower stalk is slender; there are 2 sepals, ovate in shape with pointed tips, and they fall off early. There are 5 petals, inverted ovate or elliptical; there are more than 10 stamens, with slender filaments; the ovary is spherical, and the style is slender with a deeply divided stigma, which bends outwards. The flowering and fruiting period of false ginseng is from May to October.
Fruit: The fruit is a capsule, spherical, with a diameter of about 0.4 cm, and turns grayish-brown when ripe. The seeds are small, black, and flattened and round in shape.
Image of false ginseng
Application value of false ginseng:
1. Edible:
After washing the stems and leaves, they can be stir-fried or cooked in soup. The tender stems and leaves can be washed and pickled with salt to make pickled vegetables for convenient consumption.
2. Medicinal:
The fresh stems and leaves can be crushed and applied externally to treat swelling and toxicity. Taste and properties: The whole plant is sweet and neutral in nature. Functions: The whole plant can diuretic and reduce swelling, invigorate the spleen and moisten the lungs, stop coughing, and regulate menstruation.
It is used to treat dysentery, diarrhea, damp-heat jaundice, bleeding hemorrhoids, insufficient milk production, infantile malnutrition, eczema, spleen deficiency fatigue, pulmonary tuberculosis with coughing up blood, and irregular menstruation. It can also be used externally to treat red and swollen painful eyes; the leaves can help lactation and reduce swelling and toxicity. It is used to treat urinary difficulties and swollen and toxic hemorrhoids.
3. Ornamental:
It can be used for flower beds and rock gardens, and can also be used for potted plants.
Image of false ginseng
Cultivation methods of false ginseng:
1. Propagation by cuttings:
The stem of false ginseng is fleshy. When propagating by cuttings, it is generally advisable to choose fully mature branches. The cuttings should be about 10 cm long, and the depth of insertion into the soil should be 5 cm. The nursery bed should preferably use new soil or sterilized nutrient soil.
False ginseng can be propagated by cuttings during the growing season, but it is best from late March to mid-October. In summer, seedling cultivation should be done in a shaded greenhouse to improve survival rate.
Generally, it can take about 1 week for the cuttings to take root and survive. After 10 days, they should be lightly fertilized with manure water or compound fertilizer water to strengthen the seedlings. They can be transplanted to the field after 15-20 days of cuttings.
2. Propagation by seeds:
The seeds of false ginseng are small, with thick and hard shells. Generally, untreated seeds take about 20-25 days to germinate. Before sowing, the seeds can be soaked in water at a temperature of 30-40°C for 2 days to ensure smooth germination.
Since the seeds of false ginseng are very small and avoid soil surface compaction, well-structured loam should be used. If the soil has high stickiness, organic fertilizer, sand, and furnace slag can be applied to improve soil structure. Before sowing, the bed should be watered fully, and fine soil should be used to retain moisture.
Summer seedling cultivation requires rich organic matter and loose and fertile soil. The nursery bed can be covered with shading nets or mulched with chopped straw to prevent soil compaction. The temperature and humidity should be maintained during the seedling period.
