Common Name: Day Flower

General Information

Commelina communis is an erect or decumbent, annual plant producing stems 25 - 70cm long from a fibrous rootstock[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of a dye. It is commonly cultivated as a vegetable in China[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, southern and eastern Siberia, Far eastern Russia, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam

Habitat

Partly shaded grassy places, cultivated fields and roadsides usually in moist places all over Japan[, ]. Many different habitats, often in humid localities, along ditches and roadsides[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.50 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Commelina communis has a very wide range from the temperate zone through to the tropics of southeastern Asia, though it is most common in temperate areas[]..
Prefers a light well-drained loam with added leafmold[, ]. Requires a sheltered position[].
The plant can be invasive[], the stems sprawling along the ground and rooting as they go[]. It has spread widely outside its native range and is considered invasive in some areas.

Edible Uses

Leaves, flowers and young shoots - raw or cooked[, , ]. Chopped finely and added to salads or cooked as a potherb[]. A sweet taste with a mucilaginous texture[].

Medicinal

The leaves and aerial parts are antiinflammatory, depurative, diuretic and febrifuge[, , ]. A decoction of the dried plant is used to treat bleeding, diarrhoea, fever, diabetes etc[, ].
The plant is applied topically to treat boils and abscesses[]. The leaves are used as a throat gargle to relieve sore throats and tonsilitis[, ]. The juice of the crushed plant is applied to inflamed eyes[].

The plant is sometimes used in Peninsular Malaysia as a substitute for Commelina benghalensis[].

Extracts of the plant show antibacterial activity[].

Other Uses

A bright blue dye is obtained from the petals[].

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse. The seed usually germinates in 4 - 5 weeks at 20°c[]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division in early spring. Make sure that each portion has at least one growing bud[, ].
Cuttings during the growing season. Very easy[].