#slender dayflower

[faguscarolinensis]

Commelina erecta / Slender Dayflower on Ocracoke, NC

[txwitchery]

Slender Dayflower / Flor de Santa Lucía

Commelina erecta

This small, delicate flower is widespread throughout the world and blooms in the morning, withering away as the day goes on. An unusual but notable trait of this flower is that its stamens, normally blue as in the above photo, turn pink when the plant is exposed to radiation and chemical pollution, making them a good indicator plant. Its leaves are edible but rather tough and mucilaginous. Its flowerbuds make an interesting addition to salads, while the leaves may be added to curries or stews that are to cook for a while, giving them time to become tender and spinach-like. The whole plant is better off cooked due to its oxalate content, which can cause stomach upset.

The Seminole used the mucilaginous sap to soothe skin irritations. A decoction has been used as a wash for fungal skin infections, balding, and warts; and the plant has been applied in poultice (sometimes with rum) to soothe the itching of spider bites. The Ketchwa people in Ecuador ingest the sap as an oral contraceptive, but as this has never been tested, I do NOT recommend this use. 

Magically, this plant has been used to attract abundance, promote relaxation and beauty, and dispel negativity and anxiety. The dried flowers may be added to charm bags or spell jars for any of these purposes. I associate the plant with the element Water, the goddess Voluptas, the astrological sign Pisces, and the Moon.

[faguscarolinensis]

Commelina erecta / Slender Dayflower at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University in Durham, NC