Murdannia nudiflora

Murdannia nudiflora, commonly known as the blue dayflower, is a delicate herbaceous plant native to tropical regions. Often found in moist, shady habitats, it features charming small blue blossoms. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, this species holds significant value in traditional medicine for its diverse therapeutic and bioactive properties.

  • Scientific name: Murdannia nudiflora
  • Family: Commelinaceae
  • Native range: Africa

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae, it is further categorized under the order Commelinares and the family Commelinaceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic placement is within the genus Murdannia.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Magnoliidae WCVP
Order Commelinales WCVP
Family Commelinaceae WCVP
Genus Murdannia WCVP

Common Names

This plant, known scientifically as Murdannia nudiflora, is referred to by various common names depending on the linguistic and regional context. In Chinese, it is identified as 裸花水竹叶 (zh), 裸花水竹叶 (zh-cn), 裸花水竹叶 (zh-hans), and 裸花水竹葉 (zh-tw). Additionally, in the Malayalam language, it is commonly known as താലിപ്പുല്ല് (ml).
Language Common Name Source
zh 裸花水竹叶 Wikidata
ml താലിപ്പുല്ല് Wikidata
zh-cn 裸花水竹叶 Wikidata
zh-hans 裸花水竹叶 Wikidata
zh-tw 裸花水竹葉 Wikidata
zh 竹节菜 Wikidata
zh 红毛草 Wikidata
zh 裸花水竹草 Wikidata

Distribution

This plant exhibits a wide-ranging geographical distribution across several distinct tropical and subtropical regions. Within the Macaronesian islands, it can be found specifically in the Canary Islands and Madeira. Moving toward the African continent, its presence extends through West Tropical Africa, including Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Furthermore, the species reaches into West-Central Tropical Africa, where it is documented in the Congo. Consequently, its habitat spans from oceanic archipelagos to the diverse landscapes of the African mainland.

Region Area Source
Macaronesia Canary Is. WCVP
Macaronesia Madeira WCVP
West Tropical Africa Nigeria WCVP
West Tropical Africa Sierra Leone WCVP
West-Central Tropical Africa Congo WCVP
Northeast Tropical Africa Chad WCVP
China China South-Central WCVP
China China Southeast WCVP
Eastern Asia Japan WCVP
Eastern Asia Korea WCVP