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Useful Tropical Plants

Commelina imberbis

Ehrenb. ex Hassk.

Commelinaceae

+ Synonyms

Commelina forskailii Hochst. ex C.B.Clarke

Commelina kotschyi Hassk.

Commelina latifolia Hochst. ex C.B.Clarke

Disecocarpus kotschyi Hassk. ex C.B.Clarke

Common Name:

No Image.

General Information

Commelina imberbis is a prostrate or straggling annual plant growing 40 - 120cm tall. The long stems often root at the nodes[
663
Title
Flora of Southern Africa
Publication
 
Author
Roux J.P.
Website
http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=662545
Publisher
 
Year
2003
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line resource.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

663
Title
Flora of Southern Africa
Publication
 
Author
Roux J.P.
Website
http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=662545
Publisher
 
Year
2003
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line resource.

Range

Tropical Africa - Nigeria; Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia south through eastern Africa to Angola, Botswana, Mozambique and S. Africa.

Habitat

A weed of cultivated land[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Properties

Weed PotentialYes
Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
HabitAnnual
Height1.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details



When the plant invades cultivated land it is difficult to eradicate[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
]. It is said to be resistant to herbicides[
663
Title
Flora of Southern Africa
Publication
 
Author
Roux J.P.
Website
http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=662545
Publisher
 
Year
2003
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line resource.
].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
]. A mucilaginous texture[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The tender leaves and stems are chopped and cooked alone or with other vegetables such as Bidens pilosa or Cleome hirta. Then it is served with a staple, dish such as ugali or rice[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].

Medicinal

The sap is used for the treatment of eye ailments, sore throat and burns and as a topical application for thrush in infants[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].
The plant is used in a wash to reduce fever[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

The leaves are pounded and soaked in warm water and then the solution is drunk to treat diarrhoea[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Commelina+imberbis>

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