Blue commelina
Commelina cyanea, Fam. Commelinaceae
Perennial herb, stems prostrate and ascending, glabrous or almost so. Stems grow along the ground. It readily roots at the nodes when they come into contact with the soil. Dies off in winter.
| Weed Category: | |
| Weed: | No |
| Form or habit: | Vine (Climbing, Twining or groundcover), Herb |
| Family: | Commelinaceae |
| Leaf: | Leaves with lamina ovate to narrow-ovate, 2–7cm x 0.5–1.5cm wide, green, apex acuminate. Sheath membranous, shortly pilose at the mouth. |
| Flower conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Flower colour: |
Blue |
| Flower description: | Spathes solitary, 1–2cm long, apex acuminate, on slender peduncles 1–2cm long. Cymes two, one often suppressed. Inner tepals deep blue. Spring to autumn. |
| Fruit conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Fruit colour: |
Brown, Green |
| Fruit: | |
| Fruit description: | Green to pale brown as ripening, two to five seeded capsule. Seed dull brown or black, pitted or reticulate, 2-3mm long. |
| Habitat: | Open forest, woodland. |
| Distribution | Queensland, New South Wales, Pacific Islands. |
| Food source for: | Wallabies and rabbits eat the vegetation. |
| Toxicity: | No toxicity known |
| Origin: | Australia, Pacific Islands. |
| Notes: | Can be grown as a groundcover or in hanging baskets. Propagate from cuttings. Possibly dispersed by water. The leaves are used as an edible vegetable. The leaves were used by early non-indigenous colonists to alleviate scurvy, and hence one of its common names, scurvy weed. |
| Information sources: | Atlas of Living Australia (2022) Commelina cyanea R.Br., PlantNET (2022) Commelina cyanea R.Br. FloraOnline. |
