Here's another edible weed on our property:
Binomial name : COMMELINA DIFFUSA
common names: wandering jew or scurvy weed
Commelina = prussian blue of the flower diffusa = spreading
Identification:
Commelina is a slender and brittle trailing plant -the stems are easily broken.
It has green pointed leaves and bears small blue flowers with three rounded petals. It roots readily from nodes and broken off pieces .
There are other commelina sp in Australia but the above seems to be the commonest around Brisbane.
This is a common “weed” on our property – it is a native to south east Queensland and elsewhere. Look alikes are : Tradescantia flumenensis and Commelina benghalensis. Trad flumenensis has a white flower and is thus readily identified. Commelina benghalensis is also called Hairy Commelina -it has brown hairs on the stem and larger leaves than the native species.
It occurs where the forest canopy is disturbed and declines when the bush canopy becomes mature. It recently “took off” on a portion of our property when we removed some Casaurina.
History and Uses:
In China CD is used for fevers and as a diuretic . A dye is also obtained from the flowers for use in painting.
There is no evidence it was eaten by the Aborigines. Captain Cook supposedly gave it to his crew to help prevent scurvy.
As a ground cover it provides shelter for small lizards, frogs, and native bees are attracted to the flowers. The early settlers also ate this weed to prevent scurvy - hence the name scurvy weed.
Nutritional:
The common name suggests one component which is of course Vit C - about 40mg/100gm ( an orange is about 55 mg/100gm or about 70mg /fruit)
The moisture content is quite high at about 88% and it has about 5% carbohydrates (ie a few kilojoules of energy)
It also contains some niacin and riboflavin in modest amounts
Thus, as it contains Vit C and B vitamins it will have a useful anti- oxidant effects.
What parts to eat:
Terminal leaves and flowers in a salad or cooked as an ingredient in boiled leafy vegetables.
Published Medical reports :
CD extract has been reported to exhibit antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity in vitro.
Another study indicates that an extract of CD has antifungal activity . This study also demonstrated an anti-oxidant effect.
Conclusion:
Taste wise it is unremarkable when mixed with other salad items but the blue flowers do add a touch of colour.
Medically - safe to eat - modest Vit C and other vitamins . Probably useful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
No warnings apparent.
3 comments:
Commelina diffusa is NOT "wandering jew" - it is a native plant, whose common name is scurvy plant. Tradescantia fluminesis is the plant commonly called "wandering jew" and this is an invasive exotic.
Thanks for that comment. It illustrates why we need to use the scientific binomial name for plants.
"Wandering Jew" is used in SE Queensland for this plant and yes it is also used for Tradescantia fluminensis. Whenever I have used "Scurvy weed" other gardeners have looked blankly at me - I must say I like "Scurvy weed" better, but of course the best of all, is the binomial name.
Tom
I have been removing Commelina diffusa in considerably large volumes from Coffs Harbour Regional Botanical Gardens since I began volunteer work there from June 7, 2011 until now. It is in accordance with what the Gardens administrators want. But I am wondering whether or not I am in fact persecuting a genuine Australian native species, or otherwise doing something environmentally positive. I do understand that there are variable factors involved. For example, Commelina diffusa proliferates when tree cover is broken, exposing ground areas to increased levels of sunlight, as is obviously the case in suburban Coffs Harbour, where the Gardens are located, and that Commelina diffusa is more exactly native to south eastern Queensland. And so on.
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