Commelinaceae

Spiderwort Family

Dayflowers

FAMILY: Spiderwort family (Commelinaceae) – Commelina genus.

SPECIES: Whitemouth dayflower (Commelina erecta L.).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: Except for the roots, no other parts of whitemouth dayflower are reported to be edible. This species was never located during the fieldwork conducted for this reference, but a related species called birdbill dayflower (C. dianthifolia) was located and described below. Only these two species are found in the Southwest. Several species in the eastern states have edible leaves, but this doesn’t mean that the leaves of southwestern species would be edible.

NOTES: Birdbill dayflower (C. dianthifolia), which is not reported to be edible, can be found in the mountains of southern Arizona and New Mexico after seasonal summer rains. Some authors warn of saponins in the roots and oxalates in the leaves. Based on the plants that I sampled, these compounds were not an issue, not even a slight issue.

Roots of birdbill dayflower (C. dianthifolia) are white with light-brown skins. Each root is about 5 mm wide by 30 mm long, shaped like a narrow football, and clustered with a few other roots. The flavor is mild and virtually identical to potatoes. The texture is soft, crisp, moist, and nonfibrous. Peeling the skins is unnecessary. Birdbill dayflower roots are too small to peel. Whole roots are excellent fresh, baked, boiled, steamed, sautéed, deep fried, or prepared any other way. Simmering yields a hearty, delicious, pleasantly sweet broth. These roots are perfect for soups and any recipes calling for potatoes. Roots can be gathered year-round, but aboveground parts are generally required to find them. Leaving a few roots in the ground allows a colony to regenerate, thus providing a forager with a food supply the following year. Several closely related species of Mexico produce edible roots including: blue dayflower (C. coelestis) and tuberous dayflower (C. tuberosa), see Couplan (p. 460). Some authorities note that all these species, as well as Peruvian dayflower (C. elliptica) and birdbill dayflower (C. dianthifolia) are often united into a single species or treated as varieties of a single species (Walters p. 26). When plants are similar enough to be classified as the same species, it’s highly likely that they can be used for the same purposes, so all these species presumably have edible roots even though some of them lack documentation to confirm this statement.

Leaves of birdbill dayflower (C. dianthifolia) are pleasant, mild, and tender. They taste identical to romaine lettuce, and the texture is not fibrous, hairy, or slimy. Unfortunately, this plant is sparsely leafy. Each plant averages about 5-10 leaves, and each leaf averages about 5-30 cm long by      1 cm wide. Collecting enough of these grass-like leaves for a salad might take all day. Flowers, flower buds, and spathes may also be edible, but these parts are slimy, which reduces their appeal. The flowers bloom primarily from July to October. Overall, birdbill dayflower seems to be an excellent  wild food, but confirmation of its edibility was not possible.

IDENTIFICATION: The Commelina genus is represented by about 10 species in the United States, of which only 2 are common in the Southwest. Dayflowers are grass-like plants that look somewhat similar to lilies. They’re distinguished from spiderworts (of the Tradescantia genus) by having hairless filaments and by the presence of a single, wide, sword-like flower bract (commonly called a spathe or bird’s bill).

Description of birdbill dayflower (Commelina dianthifolia): FORM perennial plant about 15-40 cm tall emerging from a cluster of tuberous roots; STEMS jointed; LEAVES simple; alternate; sheathing at the bases; blades linear to lanceolate; margins entire; surfaces nonglaucous and parallel-veined; FLOWERS irregular, perfect, ovary superior, and arranged individually or a few in clusters; subtended by a pair of leaf-like bracts (spathes) about 30-60 mm long with margins that are free to the bases; sepals 3; petals 3, free, blue, and all alike; ovaries 2-3 chambered; styles 1; stigmas 1; stamens 6 (usually 3 fertile and 3 sterile); filaments hairless; FRUITS capsules 2-3 chambered, splitting lengthwise; seeds 1-2 per chamber; HABITAT grasslands and woodlands; primarily in Arizona and New Mexico; blooming July to October.

Description of whitemouth dayflower (Commelina erecta): FORM perennial plant about 20-50 cm tall emerging from a fibrous-fleshy root; STEMS jointed; LEAVES simple; alternate; sheathing at the bases; blades linear to lanceolate; margins entire; surfaces nonglaucous and parallel-veined; FLOWERS irregular, perfect, ovary superior, and arranged individually or a few in clusters; subtended by a pair of leaf-like bracts (spathes) about 15-35 cm long with margins that are fused at the bases; sepals 3; petals 3, free, and dissimilar (2 blue and 1 white); styles 1; stigmas 1; stamens 6 (usually 3 fertile and 3 sterile); filaments hairless; FRUITS capsules 2-3 chambered, splitting lengthwise; seeds 1-2 per chamber; HABITAT grasslands and woodlands; southeastern Arizona to Florida, northward to Nebraska and Virginia; blooming May to September.

REFERENCES: Whitemouth dayflower (Commelina erecta): roots Couplan (p. 460). Except for this reference from Francois Couplan, no other references could be located for the two southwestern species of the Commelina genus. Delena Tull (1987, p. 69) indicates that Commelina and Tradescantia species have edible stems, leaves, and flowers, but no species are specified. Several references exist for the leaves and flowers of eastern species, such as Commelina virginica and Commelina communis, Couplan (p. 460), but these references cannot be applied to other species.

Spiderworts

FAMILY: Spiderwort family (Commelinaceae) – Tradescantia genus.

SPECIES: #1 western or prairie spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis (Britton) Smyth). #2 Mogollon, pine, or woodland spiderwort (Tradescantia pinetorum Greene).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: Leaves of species listed above are edible fresh or cooked. In addition, the roots of Mogollon spiderwort are edible.

Western spiderwort (T. occidentalis) is an extraordinary plant. It’s one of the best salad plants the Southwest has to offer, and the roots (though not reported to be edible) are even more impressive. Young leaves are mild, tender, and similar to romaine lettuce. Older leaves may be slightly mucilaginous. The texture is fully chewable and free of irritating fibers. The tender shoots can be eaten like asparagus, and the purple flowers are very sweet. Root systems of western spiderworts are “fibrous-fleshy.” The pattern conforms to fibrous designs, but individual strands are fleshy. Root strands are off-white and covered by brown skins. Peeling the skins is unnecessary. All the parts are tender. Fresh roots are juicy, starchy, and delicious. No cooking is required, but uncooked roots have an “earthy” flavor. Roasted roots taste fantastic. Western spiderwort roots are packed with carbohydrates. Assuming they’re safe—which can never be assumed—they make a top-quality flour. Roots should be washed, dried, ground, and roasted. The resulting flour is sweet, nutty, delicious, and reminiscent of breakfast cereal. Cinnamon makes a fine addition to this flour. Roots can be gathered year-round, but aboveground parts are generally required to find them. Leaves can be gathered in late spring, summer, or autumn. Western spiderwort is a top-quality wild salad plant, and the roots are worth further investigation.

Mogollon spiderwort (T. pinetorum) is very similar to western spiderwort described above. Both plants can be used as salad material. Mogollon spiderwort differs by having well-developed tubers that are indeed reported to be edible. These tubers taste virtually identical to potatoes, along with some additional sweetness. No harsh accents compromise the flavor. Peeling the skins is unnecessary. Gathering enough tubers for a meal can take all day, but the reward is worth the effort. Whole plants can simply be tossed into a stewpot. Tubers can be gathered year-round, but above-ground parts are generally required to find them. Leaves can be gathered in summer or autumn. Mogollon spiderwort is a fine resource that’s fairly common in the southwestern mountains.

NOTES: Of all the roots and leaves that I’ve ever eaten, those of spiderworts rank among the best. Spiderworts are highly successful plants. I’ve seen them in many places, including the Big Lue, Huachuca, Mimbres, Mogollon, and Patagonia mountains. Identifying spiderworts is easy and there are no poisonous look-alikes. They’re good plants for new foragers to learn.

IDENTIFICATION: About 30 species of the Tradescantia genus are found in the United States, but only 3 grow in the Southwest and Great Basin. Texas has 2 additional rare species.

Description of western spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis): FORM upright perennial plant about 10-70 cm tall from a fleshy-fibrous root; LEAVES simple; alternate; blades linear, grass-like, and parallel-veined; bases wrapping around the stems; margins entire; surfaces hairless and often powdery; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary superior, and arranged in clusters (umbellate cymes); bracts usually hairless and similar to the leaves; pedicels 10-60 mm long and often sticky-haired; sepals 3, green, 6-15 mm long, and often sticky-haired; petals 3, bluish-purple, equal in size, and 9-17 mm long; stamens 6, all fertile; filaments hairy; FRUITS capsules 3-7 mm long; HABITAT throughout the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains westward to Arizona and Utah; blooming May to September.

Description of Mogollon spiderwort (Tradescantia pinetorum): FORM upright perennial plant about 5-30 cm tall from a tuberous root; LEAVES simple; alternate; blades linear, grass-like, and parallel-veined; bases wrapping around the stems; margins entire; surfaces hairless and often powdery; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary superior, and arranged in clusters (umbellate cymes); bracts hairy and similar to the leaves; pedicels 8-11 mm long and often covered with sticky hairs; sepals 3, green, and 4-6 mm long; petals 3, bluish-purple, equal in size, and 8-12 mm long; stamens 6, all fertile; filaments hairy; FRUITS capsules 3-7 mm long; HABITAT plants found only in the mountains of southern Arizona and New Mexico; blooming July to September.

REFERENCES: #1 western spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis): leaves Couplan (pp. 460-461). #2 Mogollon spiderwort (Tradescantia pinetorum): roots and leaves Couplan (pp. 460-461).