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Common Name:

General Information

Commelina tuberosa is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.10 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southern N. America - Mexico.

Habitat

Not known

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.10 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a light well-drained loam with added leafmold[]. Succeeds in an ordinary, reasonably moist soil in a sunny position with some shelter[].
Plants are hardy to about -10°c if the roots are protected from freezing[]. It is probably best to dig up the roots in autumn and stored them like dahlias in a cool frost free place[]. When grown in a light well-drained soil and mulched well, the roots usually survive the winter outdoors[].
A very ornamental plant[].

Edible Uses

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

Medicinal

None known

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[].