Murdannia spirata G.Brückn.

Asiatic dewflower (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Commelinales > Commelinaceae > Murdannia

Characteristics

Herbs perennial. Roots fibrous. Rhizomes horizontal, elongate, 1--1.5 mm in diam., with sheaths at nodes; internodes to 4 cm, densely yellow hirsute in a line. Stems slender, as thick as rhizomes, creeping proximally, ascending distally, simple or branched, to 35 cm; internodes 1.5--4.5 cm, densely hirsute in a line. Leaf sheaths ca. 5 mm, densely hirsute in a line along mouth slit; leaf blade narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 1.5--3.5 × 0.5--1 cm, glabrous on both surfaces, base truncate, slightly clasping, margin undulate, apex obtuse or acute. Cincinni 1--4, forming terminal panicles, glabrous throughout; peduncle with an infertile, membranous involucral bract above middle; apical involucral bract sheathlike, proximal 1 or 2 involucral bracts similar to leaves in shape, membranous, if only 2 cincinni present then involucral bracts usually absent, if only 1 cincinnus present then cincinni filiform, to 7 cm; bracts very small; pedicels elongate, to 7 mm in fruit. Sepals elliptic, 3--4 mm, persistent. Petals pale blue or nearly white, obovate-orbicular. Fertile stamens 3; filaments lanate; staminodes 3; antherodes 3-sect. Capsule oblong, trigonous, 3--4 mm (excluding apiculus), obtuse at both ends, apiculate at apex. Seeds 3--7 per valve, uniseriate, gray-white, verrucose. Fl. Jan--Dec. 2 n = 40.
More
Herbs, annual, erect to decumbent, usually much branched with age, to 30 cm. Leaves: blade lanceolate-oblong to ovate, 1--4 ´ 0.3--1 cm. Inflorescences: cymes 1--2, several-flowered, elongate; bracteoles persistent, 2--6 mm apart. Flowers bisexual, radially symmetric, 8 mm wide; sepals 2.5--4 mm; petals rose or lavender with darker veins, 4--5 mm; fertile stamens 3; filaments bearded; staminodes 3. Capsules 3--5 mm. Seeds 3--7 per locule, less than 1 mm, warty.
A perennial creeping herb. It lies along the ground. The leaves clasp the stem. It has horizontal rhizomes that are 1-2 mm across. The stems are slender. They are 35 cm long. The leaves are 2-4 cm long by 1 cm wide.
Life form
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.3
Root system fibrous-root rhizome
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Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
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Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

A tropical plant. It grows in forests, humid wastelands, sandy places by streams from near sea level to 1000 m altitude in southern China. In Yunnan.
Light -
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Hardiness (USDA) 8-12

Usage

The young leaves are cooked and eaten.
Uses food medicinal
Edible leaves
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
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Images

Murdannia spirata unspecified picture

Distribution

Murdannia spirata world distribution map, present in Andorra, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Taiwan, Province of China, United States of America, Viet Nam, and Samoa

Conservation status

Murdannia spirata threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:172886-1
WFO ID wfo-0000473725
COL ID 44LNL
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Murdannia spirata Phaeneilema spiratum Aneilema spiratum Commelina spirata Aneilema spiratum Aphylax spiralis

Lower taxons

Murdannia spirata var. spirata Murdannia spirata var. parviflora Murdannia spirata var. flavanthera