Elegance of the Wandering Jew's inflorescence

Elegant ink-blue petals, staminodes and pollen-laden stamens of Wandering Jew (Commelina benghalensis). Also known as Benghal dayflower or tropical spiderwort. Registered as a weed in the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI) and known for its resistance to glyphosate, the plant has nonetheless a wide range of medicinal uses in various cultures : In Zulu culture the plant is used as a poultice and it is also taken to reduce high blood pressure. It is used by the Sotho for treating barren women. It is used to treat infertility, burns, sore throats, sore eyes, dysentery, rashes and leprosy. The mucilage from the flowering parts is used to treat infants’ thrush and bruised leaves are used for burns in Tanzania. The juice is used in East Africa for ophthalmia and sore throats. It is also used in the Phillippines to bathe sore eyes and for urethral pain and in India as demulcent, refrigerant and laxative. The leaf decoctions are taken for malaria in Madagascar. Source: South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI)