Family: Commelinaceae

Annual (-perennial); straggling, branched

stems, 10-40 cm tall;

rooting at the nodes, stolons;

leaves to 3 cm wide, 7 cm long, often pale green, reddish-brown hairs at the top of leaf sheath.

Inflorescence spathe 10-20 mm long and 10-15 mm wide, with fused margins, flowers on pedicels, 3 green sepals, 3 blue petals, with the lower one much reduced, underground flowers from basal shoots, reduced, cream/yellow.

It reproduces by seeds and also by cut stems, which rapidly regenerate .

Widespread in upland and hydromorphic areas, particularly those under regular cultivation. It is found in different crops, such as cereals, vegetables, legumes and others in arable land.C. benghalensis is widespread in Africa south of Sahara. It is also found in South East Asia.

This is a difficult-to-control weed. Repeated cultivation tends to stimulates its regrowth. Use even of glyphosate is inefficient for its control. The best is to prepare the land in a way to expose the plants and its subterranean organs to sunlight for a while. Use of 2,4 D-like herbicides may be useful in cereal crops.

Countries: Benin, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Nepal, Togo, Vietnam

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