Commelina africana


Commelina africana, the common yellow commelina, is a widespread species of flowering plant in the family Commelinaceae. It is native to SubSaharan Africa, Madagascar, Réunion, and the Arabian Peninsula, and has been introduced to India. It is occasionally consumed as a leaf vegetable, and occasionally fed to rabbits and pigs.

Subtaxa

The following subtaxa are accepted:
  • Commelina africana subsp. africana
  • Commelina africana var. glabriuscula Brenan – Southern Africa, Rift Valley
  • Commelina africana var. karooica Govaerts – Namibia, Botswana, South Africa
  • Commelina africana var. krebsiana C.B.Clarke – Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Comoros
  • Commelina africana var. lancispatha C.B.Clarke – Sierra Leone, eastern, central and southern Africa
  • Commelina africana var. milleri Brenan – Namibia, Botswana, Northern Provinces, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
  • Commelina africana var. villosior Brenan – Most of range
  • Commelina africana subsp. zanzibarica Faden – Kenya, Tanzania, and introduced to India