මහ ගිරාපලා (Mahagirapala) Commelina benghalensis

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Common name – Mahagirapala

Botanical name – Commelina benghalensis

Family – Commelinaceae

Life cycle – Perennial

Morphology: 

Roots -  white or brown, fibrous. 

Stem - round, solid, hairy. 

Inflorescence - fused at the base, funnel-shaped, about 1.5cm long and wide shortly pedunculate. Stipules absent.

Leaves - evenly distributed on the stem, simple, not lobed or divided, alternate, stalked, lanceolate to elliptic or ovate, glabrous on both sides, margin entire, apex acute, base clasping or obtuse, parallel-veined. Leaf sheath present, rounded in cross section, hairy. 

Fruit  - a capsule, opening by 3 valves.

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   6.Agricultural importance   

Used there medicinally, but with different effects, including as a laxative and to cure inflammations of the skin as well as leprosy.

  7.Propagation Method –

Stolons

  8. Control Methods –

Cultural control:

It is particularly difficult to control by cultivation, partly because broken pieces of above and below ground stems readily take root. With hand weeding, it is necessary to uproot all the plant from the soil.

Biological control :

Very few natural enemies have been reported to attack C. benghalensis and, of this, only two agromyzid leaf miners .

Chemical control :

Butachlor has been reported to provide good pre-emergence control of C. benghalensis, for post-emergence control, propanil at 2 kg ha-1 or 2-4-D with propanil can increase effectivness or Almix(Chlorimuron+metsulfuron) at 4 g/ha.