Common Name: Slender Day-Flower

General Information

Commelina erecta is an erect or decumbent, herbaceous perennial plant with slender stems arising from a cluster of fleshy-fibrous roots[]. It can range in height from 40 - 120 cm tall[].
The plant is occasionally harvested from the wild for its edible root, and is often grown as an ornamental in gardens[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Northern S. America from Peru north through Central America to southern and eastern N. America.

Habitat

Loamy or sandy soils or rocky slopes in woods and openings[]. Moist or wet thickets or forest, often a weed in cultivated ground, at elevations of 1,300 metres or lower, most common at the lower elevations[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.70 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Commelina erecta can succeed in a wide range of climatic conditions, with its range extending from tropical America to the temperate regions of eastern USA[]. The plant is not very winter hardy, however, and in temperate regions the roots are best dug up in the autumn and stored like dahlia tuberss in a cool frost free place and then planted out in spring[]. When grown in a light well-drained soil and mulched well, the roots will usually survive the winter outdoors in the milder regions of the temperate zone[].
Prefers a light well-drained loam with added leafmold[, ]. Succeeds in an ordinary, reasonably moist soil in a sunny position with some shelter[].
A polymorphic plant[].

Edible Uses

Tubers - cooked. Rich in starch[, , ], but with a fairly bland flavour.

Medicinal

The plant is emollient and vulnerary. It is used in the treatment of wounds[]. A decoction is used as an external wash for mycoses[]. It is macerated in rum and then rubbed on spider bites to bring relief[].

The sap is used as an oral contraceptive[].

Other Uses

None known

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[].