Practical
Plants

Commelina dianthifolia

Birdbill Dayflower

a perennial member of the Commelina genus in the family Commelinaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.1 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The following use is for the closely related C. tuberosa, but is also probably appropriate for this species[K]. Tubers - cooked. Rich in starch[2][4], but with a fairly bland flavour.

Plant part
Root

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An infusion of the plant is used as an aphrodisiac[7] and as a strengthener for weakened patients with tuberculosis[8].

Product or use
Aphrodisiac
Product or use
TB

Environment

Range
South-western N. America.
Habitat
Rocky soils in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico[10].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow March in a greenhouse. The seed usually germinates in 4 - 5 weeks at 20°c[3]. 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[111, K]. Cuttings during the growing season. Very easy[6].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a light well-drained loam with added leafmold[11]. Succeeds in an ordinary, reasonably moist soil in a sunny position with some shelter[3]. Plants are hardy to about -10°c if the roots are protected from freezing[5]. It is probably best to dig up the roots in autumn and store them like dahlias in a cool frost free place[6]. When grown in a light well-drained soil and mulched well, the roots usually survive the winter outdoors[1]. This species is closely related to C. tuberosa[6]. The flowers are very ephemeral, individual flowers only living for a few hours[9].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  3. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  4. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  5. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30936-9

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  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  7. Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6

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  8. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

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  9. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

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  10. Flora of N. America http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/

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  11. Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate. 1938-00-00

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