| Botany
A mucilaginous plant, slender, creeping or
ascending, branched and usually pubescent. The stems root at the nodes.
Leaves are oval, 4 to 7 cm long and pointed at both ends. The spathes
are 1 to 3 together, green, funnel-shaped, compressed, about 1.5 cm
long and wide. The flowers are blue, with long stalks in antheis, fascicled,
several in each spathe, with the petal 3 to 4 mm long. Capsules are
4 to 5 mm long.
Distribution
In open grasslands
and waste places in the settled areas, at low and medium altitudes.
Properties
and constituents
Considered demulcent,
refrigerant, laxative and astringent.
Part utilized
Entire plant.
Uses
Nutrition
Leaves are edible.
A famine food in India.
Folkloric
No reported folkloric
medicinal use in the Philippines.
The entire plant, in decoction,
is used as an emollient collyrium.
Also used to combat strangury.
In Cameroon, stem used
for probing wounds.
In Kenya, used in conjunctival
problems associated with measles.
In India, used in treatment
of leprosy and nervous system disorders. Also, reported use for mouth thrush, conjunctival inflammation, psychosis, epilepsy, insanity and exophthalmia.
In China, used as diuretic, febrifuge and anti-inflammatory.
In Africa and India, leaves and stems cooked as vegetables.
In Southern Africa, used to combat infertility.
Ethnoveterinary
• Mastitis: External application of poultice
of stems of Wattakaka volubilis and leaves of Commelina benghalensis
ovber the affected udder.
Others
• Grazing feed for goats with its high moisture and protein content; in Africa and India, used as feed for livestock.
Studies
• Carotenoid Composition: In
a study to determine the carotenoid compositionn of green leafy vegetable,
Chenopodium album, C benghalensis and Solanum nigrum were found to contain
higher levels of both lutein and beta carotene.
• Antibacterial:
Studies have shown antibacterial
activity agaiinst Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, E coli and B subtilis
and supports its use in formulations for ethnoveterianry use for mastitis.
• Analgesic: Study showed C benghalensis possesses significant analgesic action probably through inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis, antioxidant activity and a central analgesic mechanism. Results provide a scientific basis for it folkloric use for pain treatment.
• Anti-Cancer: Study showed the methanolic extract of CB contains bioactive compounds that may be beneficial in the treatment of malignant growths, probably through an antineoplastic activity consequent to dysregulated expression of apoptosis-responsive genes.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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