Common Name:

General Information

Murdannia nudiflora is an annual to perennial plant with slender, fibrous roots. Young plants produce a basal rosette of leaves, disappearing in older plants which have one to several creeping stems around 10 - 115cm long. The stems often produce new roots at the nodes[, , ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine.
Murdannia nudiflora is a common and widespread plant that faces no known major threats. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2015)[].
Murdannia nudiflora is classified as one of the world's worst weeds, infesting no less than 16 crops in 23 countries. It is a major weed species in rice and other crops, and is a moderately invasive weed species both in agricultural crops and non-agricultural areas in South and South-east Asia. Its special ability to root easily at the nodes, propagating clonally through cut stems and dispersal during tillage and land preparation make this weed difficult to control. This trait coupled with its ability to adapt and survive a wide ecological window of soil types, pH, moisture availability and soil drainage makes the plant a weed to watch for potential spread into new areas in the near future, and a species under the 'alert list' by the Invasive Species Specialist Group[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - Tropical and subtropical regions from Pakistan, India, and China through southeast Asia to New Guinea and western Australia

Habitat

Derelict or abandoned land, roadsides, and often in moist, waterlogged places being almost sub-aquatic, along the banks of irrigation canals, ditches and dikes, in rice paddies and other lowland crops, field borders and wet pasture lands[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual/Perennial
Height	0.20 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Murdannia nudiflora prevails under a wide range of environmental conditions from temperate regions, where it is usually annual, to tropical regions where it is often perennial. It can grow at low elevations and also at elevations above 1,800 metres[]. It is not tolerant of frost, dying when temperatures fall below 5°c, growing in areas where the mean annual temperature ranges from 10 - 33°c. It can tolerate a mean annual rainfall ranging from 250 - 2,500 metres[].
The plant appears tolerant to a wide range of conditions, in either open situations or in rather deeply shaded sites. It can grow in a wide variety of soil types, pH levels, in moisture conditions that can range from well-drained to waterlogged, in varying nutrient levels, in high light exposure or in shade, and with competition from crops and other plants. It can tolerate a soil pH ranging from less than 4.0 to more than 7.0[].

Edible Uses

Leaves and young stems - cooked. Eaten as a vegetable, the plant is considered palatable in some areas that in other areas it is only used in times of famine[, ].

Medicinal

The root is medicinal[].

An infusion of the plant is used in the treatment of wounds and conjunctivitis[]. The plant is used to treat burns, boils and sores[].

The leaves are used as a poultice[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Layering - the plant freely produces roots at the leaf nodes[].

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Captcha: if i have 3 bananas, and i eat them all, how many bananas did i just eat?