Neelima / Asiatic Dewflower
Murdannia spirata
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala & more
- Flowering
- August-February
How to identify Neelima
Identify Neelima by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a herb habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Spirally twisted seed capsules.
- Confirm flower colour: Purple/pink.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: August-February.
- In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Commelinaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Neelima.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Murdannia spirata
- Genus
- Murdannia
- Family
- Commelinaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Grasslands and moist places
- Native to
- India, China
- Distribution
- India, Africa, Myanmar, South China, Malesia
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand
- Flowering & fruiting
- August-February
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (LC)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Typical of the Commelinaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Purple/pinkrecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Neelima itself; the rest are typical of the Commelinaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Marathi
- निलिमा Neelima
About Neelima
A member of the Commelinaceae family, Asiatic Dewflower (Murdannia spirata) is a herb. In India it has been recorded in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and 9 other states. It grows in grasslands and moist places. Flowering and fruiting run from August to February.
Commelinaceae
Spiderwort Family
Neelima belongs to the Commelinaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Commelinaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guides