Ghol / Common Purselane घोल

Hindi name · See all regional names ↓

Also known as Garden Purselane, Indian Parselane

Introduced in India · Kew WCVPHerbMedicinal

Habit: Herb
Found in India: Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana & more
Flowering: Throughout the year

Identify this plant with SASYA

One plant. Many familiar names.

Ghol in regional languages

Find the name you know, then compare it with the botanical profile. Columns list recorded aliases; they are not paired translations. A Latin spelling appears only when it is present in the source record.

Recorded regional names for Ghol
Language	Regional script	Recorded Latin spelling
Hindi	घोल · कांडली · लोणा	Ghol, Kandli, Lona, ghol
Nepali	गड्यॉउला झार · कुल्फा साग · नोना	Gadyaulaa Jhaar, Kulfaa Saag, Nonaa
Bengali	বড় লনিয়া · সি কলস · নুনিয়া	Bara Laniya, Ghee Kalam, Nunia
Tamil	கோழிக்கீரை · பருப்புக்கீரை	Koli-K-Kirai, Paruppu-K-Kirai
Telugu	బొడ్డు పావిలికూర · గంగాబాయిలికూర · పప్పుకూర	Boddu Pavilikura, Gangabaili Kura, Pappukura
Kannada	ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗೋಣಿ ಸೊಪ್ಪು · ಕಿರುಗೋಣಿ	Dodda Goni Soppu, Kirugoni
Malayalam	കൊഴുപ്പ · മണൽചീര · ഉപ്പുചീര	Kozhuppa, Manalcheera, Uppucheera
Marathi	घोळ · घोळू	Ghol

See the original recorded names

Hindi: घोल Ghol, कांडली Kandli, लोणा Lona, ghol
Nepali: गड्यॉउला झार Gadyaulaa Jhaar, कुल्फा साग Kulfaa Saag, नोना Nonaa
Bengali: বড় লনিয়া Bara Laniya, সি কলস Ghee Kalam, নুনিয়া Nunia
Tamil: கோழிக்கீரை Koli-K-Kirai, பருப்புக்கீரை Paruppu-K-Kirai, பருப்புக்கீரை
Telugu: బొడ్డు పావిలికూర Boddu Pavilikura, గంగాబాయిలికూర Gangabaili Kura, పప్పుకూర Pappukura
Kannada: ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗೋಣಿ ಸೊಪ್ಪು Dodda Goni Soppu, ಕಿರುಗೋಣಿ Kirugoni
Malayalam: കൊഴുപ്പ Kozhuppa, മണൽചീര Manalcheera, ഉപ്പുചീര Uppucheera
Marathi: घोळ Ghol, घोळ, घोळू

The source-backed species sheet

Toxicity & contact hazards

What the sources report, with their scope intact. A missing rating stays unknown; a non-toxic listing doesn’t rule out irritation, injury or other hazards.

Reported toxicity

Pets: Toxicity reported
People: Mild toxicity reported

Contains oxalates that can harm if eaten in large amounts; low severity. Problem for cats, dogs and horses.

Reported toxic principle: soluble calcium oxalates

Signs listed by the source: kidney failure (rare in dogs and cats), tremors, salivation

Ecology & growing context

Native status · Kew WCVP: WCVP records it as introduced in Andaman Is., Assam, India, Laccadive Is., Nicobar Is., West Himalaya Kew dataset ↗︎
Kew WCVP dataset; accepted-name match. Dataset matching is separate from an individual regional review. Recorded worldwide native range: Macaronesia, Africa, EC. & S. Europe to Pakistan and Arabian Pen..
Recorded habitat: Wet areas in degraded forests, also weed of cultivation
Explore nearby plants: Maharashtra →Tamil Nadu →Telangana →

Occurrence records show where a plant has been recorded; they do not establish that it is native there. Compare local habitat and growing conditions when choosing plants for a garden.

How to identify Ghol

Identify Ghol by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.

Look for a herb habit.
Confirm leaf arrangement: Opposite.
Confirm leaf shape: Flat paddle-shaped.
Confirm flower colour: Yellow.
Confirm fruit type: Legume.
In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: Throughout the year.
In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, West Bengal and nearby regions.

Plant Details

Scientific name: Portulaca oleracea
Genus: Portulaca
Family: Portulacaceae
Habit: Herb
Habitat: Wet areas in degraded forests, also weed of cultivation
Habitat type: Wetland, Forest, Cultivated, Wasteland
Distribution: Pantropical
Found in India: Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Odisha, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Goa, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Meghalaya
Flowering & fruiting: Throughout the year
Conservation status: Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf arrangement: OppositerecordedTwo leaves arise from the stem at the same point, facing each other.“It has smooth, reddish, mostly prostrate stems, and the leaves, which may be alternate or opposite, are clustered at stem joints and ends.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf shape: Flat paddle-shapedrecorded
Leaf surface: GlabrousrecordedSmooth, hairless.“It has smooth, reddish, mostly prostrate stems, and the leaves, which may be alternate or opposite, are clustered at stem joints and ends.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Characters marked “recorded” are for Ghol itself; the rest are typical of the Portulacaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour: Yellowrecorded
Fruit type: LegumerecordedA dry pod that splits open along two seams (typical of the pea/bean family).“The tiny seeds are formed in a pod that opens when the seeds mature.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Characters marked “recorded” are for Ghol itself; the rest are typical of the Portulacaceae family — flowering plants only.

About Ghol

A member of the Portulacaceae family, Common purselane (Portulaca oleracea) is a herb. In India it has been recorded in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and 27 other states. It grows in wet areas in degraded forests, also weed of cultivation. It flowers and fruits through much of the year.