Commelinaceae FAMILY

Commelina diffusa

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Commelina diffusa is an annual, or more commonly perennial, prostrate to ascending, much branched herb that can grow 1 metre or more high[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. , 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of dyestuff.

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeThrough most of the tropics and subtropics of Africa, Asia, the Pacific and the Americas, but absent from Australia.

HabitatMoist fields, along ditches, on waste land, cultivated ground, lawns and under bamboo, often growing as a weed, on soils rich in clay or humus; at elevations from sea-level up to 2,000 metres[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. , 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. , 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ ].