Yellow commelina
Commelina africana

Family: Commelinaceae

What it is like

A herb. The stems are fleshy and lie along the ground. The stems are 1 m long. They form roots at the nodes. The leaf stalks form a sheath around the stem. The leaves are small. The flower emerges from a pocket like spathe. The flowers are yellow to white.

There are about 170 Commelina species. There are 25 Commelina in tropical America.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in well-drained rocky and sandy soils. It grows in hot arid zones. It grows in places with a marked dry season. It can grow between 2 and 2,160 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places. In Tanzania it grows in areas with a rainfall between 900-1,900 mm. It grows in wet grassland savannah.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Australia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Middle East, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The leaves are cooked as a potherb. They are soft so are mixed with other types of leafy vegetables. The leaves are chopped and boiled in water or milk. The underground bulbs are eaten by children.

It is a very minor vegetable. The underground bulbs are eaten by children.

Edible parts

Leaves, vegetable, bulb, tubers, root

How it is grown

It is grown from sections of the rhizomes.

Leaves are collected in the rainy season.

Its other names

Local names

Dzadza, Echaya, Ekoropot, Gezi, Goche, Goshe, Holagabis, Kallechuwa, Katagh, Khovani, Kikowe, Korogwa, Lidzangamane, Linyolonyolo, Mwana-wanfefo, Ndarama, Newaso, Nikorrowane, Nkongo, Mtara-ran, Odielo, Othoto, Ototo, Portotion, Zheki

Synonyms

Commelina africana var. africana Commelina africana var. polyclada Welw. ex C.B.Clarke Commelina bakueana A.Chev. ex Hutch. & Dalziel [Invalid] Commelina benghalensis Forssk. [Illegitimate] Commelina divaricata Vahl Commelina edulis A.Rich. Commelina flava Salisb. Commelina lutea Moench Commelina polyclada Welw. ex C.B.Clarke Commelina subamplectens Hassk. Dirtea africana (L.) Raf. Hedwigia africana (L.) Medik. Stickmannia africana (L.) Raf.