Commelina communis.   鸭 跖 草  Yā zhí cǎo   Asiatic dayflower   Family: Commelinaceae       
PART USED: Whole plant
Nature: Cold   FLAVOR: Slightly bitter, sweet, tastless CHANNELS: Lung, Stomach, Small intestine, Kidney, Large intestine.
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Herbs that Clear Heat and Purge Fire
1. Clears Heat, counteract toxic effects.[2] Clears fevers, detoxifies.[1]
2. Promotes diuresis.[1] Benefit water, heal swelling.
INDICATIONS
1. Infection of upper respiratory tract, sore throat.[2] Colds malaria, laryngitis, conjunctivitis.[1]
2. Dysuria.[1] Urinary infection, nephritis, with edema. Ascites, gonorrhea.[1]
3. Carbuncle, skin eruptions.[2]  Snake and insect bites, boils and abscesses.[1]
PREPARATIONS: Decoction. Whole plant  30-60 g of fresh herb,[1] 15-30 g of dry product.  Or a suitable amount of fresh herb crushed for external application.[1]
    

HABITAT: Found growing wild on shady damp hillsides or in roadside weed patches.
DESCRIPTION: Dayflower is an annual herb 30 cm in height. Stem; cylindrical, fleshy, lower part creeping, adventitious roots growing from nodes, upper stem inclined. Leaves; alternate, broadly lanceolate, apexes short-acute, bases narrowly rounded forming membranous sheaths, margins intact, with parallel veins. Flowers; in summer, dark blue flowers appear from stem terminals to form racemose inflorescences. Capsule; ellipsoid, slightly flat.
References
Inner Path can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Research

Anti-hyperglycemic activity of Commelina communis L.: inhibition of alpha-glucosidase.
Youn JY, Park HY, Cho KH.
Abstract
Since ages, botanical substances are in use for the remedy of diabetes with considerable degree of success. One of the such; an extract of Commelina communis L. (CE-L) after decoction in water has been traditionally used for the treatment of diabetes in Korea. However, its action mechanism has not yet been established. To explore the inside of its action-mechanism, in this study, the effect of the aqueous extract of C. communis L. (CE-L) on the activity of alpha-glucosidase was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Aqueous extract of CE-L showed inhibitory activity of the alpha-glucosidase in a dose-dependent manner, in vitro. CE-L also seems to be by and large free from exerting any cytotoxic effect at least in CHO-K1 fibroblast and 3T3-L1 adipocyte. CE-L alleviated hyperglycemia caused by maltose or starch loading in normal and Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice with better efficacy than that of acarbose. In addition, prolonged administration of CE-L tends to normalize hyperglycemia in STZ-induced diabetic mice. Such results suggest that inhibitory activity of CE-L on alpha-glucosidase may contribute to delay in carbohydrate digestion and glucose absorption. Thus, CE-L has potential for use in the management of non-insulin-dependent diabetes.
PMID: 15563967 DOI: 10.1016/j.diabres.2003.08.015 Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2004 Dec;66 Suppl 1:S149-55. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Active constituents of Commelina communis L [Article in Chinese]
Tang XY, Zhou MH, Zhang ZH, Zhang YB.
Abstract
According to the pharmacological results five compounds were isolated from the herb of Commelina communis. Based on physico-chemical constants and spectral data, four of them were identified as n-triacontanol, p-hydroxycinnamic acid, daucosteril and D-mannitol. p-hydroxycinnamic acid shows antibacterial activity and D-mannitol shows antitussive effect.
PMID: 7945872 Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 1994 May;19(5):297-8, inside backcover. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov