Commelina ensifolia

Commelina ensifolia, commonly known as scurvy weed, scurvy grass or wandering Jew,[1][2] is an annual herb native to Australia, India, and Sri Lanka.[3]

Commelina ensifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Commelinales
Family: Commelinaceae
Genus: Commelina
Species:
C. ensifolia
Binomial name
Commelina ensifolia

The species grows as a prostrate herb, producing roots from the stem at the nodes.[1] Flowers are bright blue with three petals, however one petal is much smaller than the others, often producing an appearance of two petals. The species prefers moist soils, but has a broad natural range, extending from coastal monsoon forest to the arid central deserts where it grows as an ephemeral following favourable rains.[1][2][4] The species has been eaten as a green vegetable by Aboriginals. European settlers also ate the plant to prevent scurvy, giving rise the common name of scurvy grass.[5]

The species is a minor weed in some parts of its natural range.[6]

References
  1. "Commelina ensifolia". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  2. "Commelina ensifolia". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  3. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  4. John Jessop; Australian Systematic Botany Society (1 January 1981). Flora of Central Australia. Reed.
  5. A. B. Cribb; Joan Winifred Cribb; Charles McCubbin (1987). Wild Food in Australia. Fontana/Collins. ISBN 978-0-00-636571-6.
  6. "Commelina ensifolia". Discover Nature at JCU. James Cook University Australia. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.