Dayflower, Tropical Spiderweed

Where does Dayflower grow?

Found in: Africa, American Samoa, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, British Indian Ocean Terr., BIOT, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa, China, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guam, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Hawaii, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kenya, Laos, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Northeastern India, NW India, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Uganda, United States, Venezuela, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Notes: There are about 230 Commelina species. It easily becomes established as a weed.

Status: It is only rarely eaten. It is a very minor vegetable. It has low palatability. The roots and tubers are cooked as a famine food.

Growing Dayflower, Tropical Spiderweed

Cultivation: Plants are grown from seed.

Edible Uses: The young leaves are eaten cooked as a vegetable. They are also used as a potherb. They are also fried. The leaves boiled in water and eaten mixed with salt and chilli peppers. The seeds are ground into flour and made into bread. The starchy rhizomes are cooked and eaten. The young leaves can be stored for 4-5 days.

Production: Leaves are collected during the early flush of the rainy season.

Nutrition Info

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