North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Stephen Sadler" <Docshiva@Docshiva.org>]

Purslane, contrary to mythology, is not high in mercury - it is, however,
high in omega-3 acids, and a really healthy veg!  I wonder why the Chinese
thought it was high?  In Taoist views, a plant low in lead - like purslane -
was necessarily described is high in mercury, the Taoist metallic opposite
of lead (lead, heavy and dense; mercury, light and liquid).  Taoists thought
that mercuric property to be healthy, and Chinese herbal medicines to this
day are frequently high in actual mercury, assayed through more modern
science than when the Taoists were ascribing these metallic properties.
Remember, western 'science' at the same time postulated that wood
'contained' fire.  

Weed, defined:

The way I learned it, all plants have some use, so usefulness or uselessness
does not describe a 'weed'.  A weed is simply a perfectly good plant that's
where someone doesn't want it to be.   

Stephen Sadler, Ph.D.
USDA 9, AHS heat zone 8, 
Sacramento CA - Mediterranean climate


-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of kieran or donna
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2005 10:15 AM
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [NAFEX] japanese beetles so bad?


...
One weed I find interesting is purslane, called "plant mercury" in China
because it concentrates mercury.  If I remember correctly, you can get 2 oz
mercury per ton of plant.  Anyway, it won't grow in our garden.  I have
bought seeds several times, and accidently imported it in some dirt from
elsewhere.  It wimps out and next year, it's all gone.  What do you call a
weed when it's not a weed?  That's all for now.  Donna