Commelinaceae ~ Murdannia Royle
Synonyms: Aneilema R. Br. p.p.
Habit, vegetative morphology. Herb, less than 50 cm or 50–150 cm, annual or perennial, non-insectivorous, non-aromatic, non-parasitic. Bladder-shaped organs absent. Milky sap absent. Thorns absent. Plant habitat. Land plant. Underground parts. Underground parts without tuber-like structures. Rhizomes absent. Stolons absent. Stems. Stems hairy or not hairy, with simple hairs, round, erect or procumbent, solid, succulent. Leaves. Leaves one type present, small (less than 2 cm long/wide) or large (more than 2 cm long/wide), not hairy on upper surface or on lower surface, hairy on upper surface or on lower surface, sessile, simple, narrow or broad, alternate, evenly distributed on stem, margin entire, apex acute or obtuse, base clasping, parallel-veined, with close-parallel secondary venation, midrib not-prominent, surface not-waxy, succulent, glands absent, dots absent, papillae absent, hydathodes absent. Leaf sheath present, hairy. Stipules absent. Ligules absent. Flowers, inflorescence. Flowers bisexual, grouped together in an inflorescence, terminal or axillary. Inflorescence not a spike or a head but other, lax, few (2–5)-flowered. Flowers single, stalked, small (less than 2 cm), yellow or red or blue or purple. Petals 3 or 3-merous, free. Sepals 3 or 3-merous. Stamens many (more than 5). Bracts present, not hairy. Spathe absent. Seeds. Seed ellipsoid/oblong or round, warty. Fruits. Fruit a capsule.
Notes: Sometimes forms mats. M. nudiflora (L.) Brenan is an alternate host of the root-lesion nematode Pratylenchus pratensis Filip., the root-knot nematodes of Meloidogyne and the root rot pathogen Pythium arrhenomanes Drechs.
Common names: M. nudiflora (L.) Brenan: Kaab (Laos); Phak-prap, kinkungnoi (Thai); C[or] trai, th[af]i l[af]i tr[aws]ng (Viet.).
Control methods: Manual.
Uses: M. nudiflora (L.) Brenan & M. spirata (L.) Brückn.: The plants are eaten as a vegetable during famine in India. M. nudiflora (L.) Brenan: The whole is used as animal fodder, and the leaves are used as a poultice.
Image • murnudlf.jpg. Murdannia nudiflora. • mnudflwr.jpg. Murdannia nudiflora. • murblume.gif. Murdannia blumei. • murspir.gif. Murdannia spirata.
Cite this publication as: ‘Naples, M.L. (2005). Weeds of Rain Fed Lowland Rice Fields of Laos & Cambodia. Unpublished MSc thesis, University of Leiden ’.
