Commelina africana
Common yellow commelina
Commeelina africana, commonly known as the African climbing shrub, is a versatile medicinal plant native to various African regions. Renowned for its diverse therapeutic properties, it is traditionally utilized in folk medicine to treat ailments ranging from skin infections to digestive issues, offering significant potential for modern pharmacological research.
- Scientific name: Commelina africana
- Family: Commelinaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant, Commelina africana, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. It is classified under the class Equisetopsida and the subclass Magnoliidae within the order Commelinales. Furthermore, it is the type species of the family Commelinaceae and the genus Commelina.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Commelinales | WCVP |
| Family | Commelinaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Commelina | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, Commelina africana, is known by various names across different linguistic groups and regions. In Arabic, it is referred to as وعلان أفريقي, while in the Dagbani language, it is called Fulumfulaa. Its names in Chinese also reflect its botanical identity, being identified as 饭包草 in Mandarin (zh), 饭包草 in Simplified Chinese (zh-cn), and 飯包草 in Traditional Chinese (zh-tw).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ar | وعلان أفريقي | Wikidata |
| dag | Fulumfulaa | Wikidata |
| zh | 饭包草 | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 饭包草 | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 飯包草 | Wikidata |
| ar | كوملينا أفريقية | Wikidata |
| en | common yellow commelina | Wikidata |
| en | yellow wandering Jew | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical range spanning across different oceanic and continental regions. In the Macaronesia region, its presence is specifically noted in Cape Verde. Its distribution extends significantly into West Tropical Africa, where it can be found in Benin and Burkina. Furthermore, the species is documented within the borders of Ghana. Finally, the plant's range reaches as far as Guinea-Bissau, completing its westward spread across the continent.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Macaronesia | Cape Verde | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Benin | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Burkina | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ghana | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea-Bissau | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ivory Coast | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Liberia | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Nigeria | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Senegal | WCVP |
Chemicals
Commelina africana has 4 reported phytochemicals identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include flavonoids, saponins, tannins, terpenoids.
- Total chemicals
- 4
- Scientific sources
- 4
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| flavonoids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| saponins | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| tannins | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| terpenoids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Commelina africana has 1 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial.
- Total activities
- 1
- Scientific sources
- 1
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antibacterial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Commelina africana has 2 reported medicinal uses identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Pseudomonas aeruginosa, childbirth.
- Total uses
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 2
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| childbirth | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |