| HABIT : An annual herbaceous weed, with branched tap root system. |
| STEM : Slender, semi-erect or creeping, cylindrical, branched, hairy, nodes and internodes distinct, greenish with purplish tinge. |
| LEAVES : Simple, exstipulate, sessile or shortly petiolate with sheathing leaf base,
amplexicaul, hairy, ovate or oblong-lanceolate, entire or repand, multicostate parallel
venation.
|
| INFLORESCENE : Terminal, bifid cymes surrounded by 1-3 spathes or bracts;
spathesconduplicate; one cyme with 2-3 flowers whereas other cyme of 1-2 flowers.
|
| FLOWERS : Bracteate, pedicellate, complete, zygomorphic, bisexual, hypogynous, trimerous,
cyclic, blue in colour, flowers are also subterranean and cleistogamous.
Perianth made up of 6 tepals, arranged in two whorls of three each; outer whorl of 3 represents calyx in which the sepals are polysepalous, inferior, membranous, obovate and petalloid (white); inner whorl of 3 represents corolla in which one of the petals is larger being conduplicate, polypetalous, imbricate, clawed and blue.
Androecium of 6 stamens, of which 3 fertile and remaining 3 sterile represented by blue staminodes, antiphyllous; filament filiform, smooth, light blue; anthers dithecous with discrete and divaricate as 'x'-shaped lobes, both dorsifixed and basifixed, bright yellow.
Gynoecium tricarpellary, syncarpous, superior, trilocular (one locule with one ovule and other two locules with two ovules each), axile placentation; style simple, filiform, whitish-purple, distal end circinately coiled; stigma capitate.
|
| FRUIT : Membranous, pyriform capsule. |
| FLOWERING AND FRUITING TIME : Throughout the year. |
| • Commelina benghalensis is a perennial herb, used in the traditional medicine system for the treatment of various ailments like leprosy, sore throat, opthalmia, burns, pain and infammation and also used as de pressant, demulcent, emollient and laxative. |
| • In Zulu culture the plant is used as a poultice and it is also taken to reduce high blood pressure. It is used by the Sotho for treating barren women. |
| • It is used to treat infertility, burns, sore throats, sore eyes, dysentery, rashes and leprosy. |
