Sticky Fingers – Aneilema aequinoctiale, Clinging Aneilema

Aneilema aequinoctiale, Clinging Aneilema

This energetic and fast-spreading herb grows along the forest margins and entangled with other plants at Msinsi Nature Reserve. The leaves are covered in fine hooked hairs which feel ‘sticky’ to the touch. This allows sections of the plant to attach to passing animals and then to drop off elsewhere to grow, thus securing a wide distribution. This plant is edible, for the leaves can be boiled as one does spinach and the roots can be roasted. The bright yellow flowers are unusual in that two of the petals are large and one is small. On closer inspection the petals sparkle charmingly. This effect is as a result of the water-plumped cells in the delicate petals catching and reflecting the sunlight. Also in the reserve is a sister plant, the Commelina Africana with very similar flowers. Only the leaves are smooth or lightly haired. Both species can be used as pig food – anyone with potbellied pigs at home?

Although some gardeners view the Clinging Aneilema as a weed, I think they make fine garden plants, along with the blue Forest Commelina (Coleotrype natalensis)/ Ecklon’s Blue Commelina (Commelina eckloniana) and Blue Commelina (Commelina erecta). Unsagely – Durban gardeners will pull these endemic plants out but allow the exotic but similar Wandering Jew (Tradescantia fluminensis) to grow. Tradescantia fluminensis is a pernicious alien that has the ability to kill off other plants wherever it grows.

Graham Leslie McCallum

Aneilema aequinoctiale, Clinging Aneilema

Ecklon’s Blue Commelina (Commelina eckloniana) – photographed in my garden.