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Botany
· A mucilaginous,
slender, creeping or ascending branched herb, usually pubescent. Stems
root at the nodes.
· Leaves: green, oblong-lanceolate, 4 to 7 cm long, 1-2 cm wide,
pointed at both ends.
· Flowers: inflorescence is axillary and peduncled, enclosed
in a complicate leaf-like spathe. The cymes are usually 2 in each spathe.
The flowers are blue, with long stalks in anthesis, fascicled, several
in each spathe-like bracts, with petals 3 to 4 mm long.
Distribution
Common throughout
the Philippines in open grasslands and waste places in settled areas
at low and medium altitudes.
Parts utilized
Entire plant.
Characteristics
and pharmacologic effects
Tasteless, cooling
natured.
Febrifuge.
Rubifacient.
Entire plant in decoction is used as an emollient, eye-wash and is also
employed to combat painful discharge of urine, diuretic.
Good blood coagulant, antifebrile and antidote, tonic for the heart.
Antifungal, antibacterial.
Uses
Folkloric
· For all kinds
of fever symptoms due to infection: get drug (dried preparation 9 to
15 gms, 30 to 60 gms fresh material) boil to a concentrated decoction
and drink.
· Mumps: get fresh plant, crush and squeeze out the juice, then
drink.
· For poisonous snake bites: get fresh plant, crush, squeeze
out the juice, then drink. This drug must be accompanied by an antidote
preparation applied on the bite.
· Difficult urination
· Acute gastroenteritis
· Laryngopharyngitis, tonsillitis, colds
· External wound bleeding
· Erysipelas
· Dosage: for 4 to 8, use 30 to 60 gms dried material or 90 to
120 gms fresh material in decoction; pounded fresh material may be applied
externally as a poultice.
· Nigeria: Taken
as aperient. Decoction used for fevers. Leaf-infusion used as eyewash.
Root decoction used for gonorrhea and dysmenorrhea.
· Sierra Leone:
plant used as wound dressing after circumcision.
· Congo:
Leaf-sap used for abscesses, buboes and headache. Leaves believed
to be aphrodisiac.
Others
• Petal juice used as dye for painting.
Studies
· Antioxidant
/ Antifungal: Commelina diffusa ais used as a wound
-healing agent in traditional Ghana medicine. A study on the methanol
extract of Commelina diffusa showed antioxidant and antifungal (against
Tricophyton species) activity confirming its wound healing benefits.
· Antioxidant
/ Antifungal: Study of methanol extracts showed
antioxidant activity and antifungal activity against Tricophyton species.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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