Cyanotis barbata

Family: Commelinaceae

What it is like

A herb. It forms tufts. The shoots lie along the ground and are 15-30 cm long. The leaves are narrowly sword shaped. They are 3-8 cm long by 3-7 mm wide. The flowers are dark blue. The fruit are square capsules. They have 6 seeds. The seeds are 1 mm long and wrinkled and brown.

Where it is found

A tropical plant.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, China, East Africa, Ethiopia, Himalayas, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, SE Asia, West Africa, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The underground corms are eaten raw by children.

Edible parts

Tubers, root, corms

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Cyanotis hirsuta; Tradescantia barbata (D. Don) Spreng.; Tradescantia radicans Royle;