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 (Norl.) Brenan – Southern Africa, Rift Valley Commelina africana var. karooica (C.B.Clarke) Govaerts – Namibia, Botswana, South Africa Commelina africana var. krebsiana (Kunth) 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 (C.B.Clarke) Brenan – Most of range Commelina africana subsp. zanzibarica Faden – Kenya, Tanzania, and introduced to India
References