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Edible Dewflower
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Edible Dewflower
ative Photo: Krishan Lal
Common name: Edible Dewflower
Botanical name: Murdannia edulis    Family: Commelinaceae (Dayflower family)
Synonyms: Commelina edulis, Murdannia scapiflora, Commelina scapiflora

Edible Dewflower is a perennial herb with roots fibrous, robust, up to more than 10 cm x 2--4 mm. Stems are several from rosette, scape-like, nearly equaling the leaves, about 2 mm in diameter, hairless to densely hairy. Leaves are all basal, in a rosette. Leaves are linear, 10-42 x 2-4.5 cm, hairless or sparsely hairy on both surfaces, margin frilly and often wavy, tip often long-pointed. Cincinni are solitary in each involucral bract or sometimes several in leaf axils, proximal cincinni to 3 cm, distal ones gradually becoming smaller, apical ones about 2 mm. Involucral bracts are sheathlike, rarely with blade, basal 1--3 often infertile, pedicels 5-8 mm in fruit, with sheathlike, membranous involucral bracts, forming reduced inflorescence shoots. Sepals lanceolate, ca. 4 mm, persistent. Petals are pink or purple, obovate-round. Fertile stamens are 3; filaments velvety, staminodes 3; antherodes 3-sect. Capsule ellipsoid, trigonous, ca. 7 mm. Seeds ca. 7 per valve, slightly flattened, reticulate. Edible Dewflower is found in the Himalayan forests, near sea level to 1000 m. Flowering: June-August.

Identification credit: Krishan Lal Photographed in Sirmaur Distt, Himachal Pradesh & Kaliyam forest, Jharkhand.

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