鸭跖草的药用历史至晚不晚于唐代，传统中医学认为，鸭跖草具有行水、清热、凉血、解毒的功效<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|title=中药鸭跖草的研究进展|author=王兴业|url=http://www.cnki.net/kcms/doi/10.14088/j.cnki.issn0439-8114.2011.04.020.html|journal=湖北农业科学|issue=4|doi=10.14088/j.cnki.issn0439-8114.2011.04.020|others=|year=2011|volume=50|page=652|language=zh-cn|pmid=|id=WH:0439－8114（2011）04－0652-04|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529203249/http://www.cnki.net/kcms/doi/10.14088/j.cnki.issn0439-8114.2011.04.020.html|archivedate=2018-05-29}}</ref>。现代医学研究显示，鸭跖草中分离出的一些活性成分具有抗高血糖<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|title=Anti-hyperglycemic activity of Commelina communis L.: inhibition of α-glucosidase|author=Ji-Youn Youn|url=http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0168822704001536|last2=Park|first2=Hyo-Young|date=2004-12|journal=Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice|issue=|doi=10.1016/j.diabres.2003.08.015|others=|year=|volume=66|page=|pages=S149–S155|language=en|issn=0168-8227|pmid=|last3=Cho|first3=Kyung-Hea|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180601154446/https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0168822704001536|archivedate=2018-06-01}}</ref>、抗肥胖<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|title=Anti-obesity effects of Asian dayflower, Commelina communis, in mice with high-fat diet-induced obesity and in 3T3-L1 cells|author=Shiori Nagai|url=http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1756464616000682|last2=Wakai|first2=Eri|date=2016-04|journal=Journal of Functional Foods|issue=|doi=10.1016/j.jff.2016.02.012|others=|year=|volume=22|page=|pages=490–503|language=en|issn=1756-4646|pmid=|last3=Shibano|first3=Makio|last4=Fujimori|first4=Ko}}</ref>等作用和对流感的治疗作用<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|title=Protective effect of homonojirimycin from Commelina communis (dayflower) on influenza virus infection in mice|author=Zhang Guo-bin|url=http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0944711313001645|last=|first=|last2=Tian|first2=Lian-qi|date=2013-08|journal=Phytomedicine|issue=11|doi=10.1016/j.phymed.2013.04.009|others=|year=|volume=20|page=|pages=964–968|language=en|issn=0944-7113|pmid=|last3=Li|first3=Yi-ming|last4=Liao|first4=Yi-fan|last5=Li|first5=Jing|last6=Bing|first6=Fei-hong|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180601154446/https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0944711313001645|archivedate=2018-06-01}}</ref>，对一些致病菌的抑制作用<ref name="xieyf" />等。鸭跖草在艺术创作、纺织印染<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1005268118|title=Textile Terminologies from the Orient to the Mediterranean and Europe, 1000 BC to 1000 AD|last=Salvatore|first=Gaspa|last2=Cécile|first2=Michel|last3=Marie-Louise|first3=Nosch|publisher=|year=2017|isbn=9781609621124|location=Lincoln, Nebraska|pages=453|language=en|chapter=The Textile Terminology in Ancient Japan|oclc=1005268118}}</ref>、[[植物学|植物學]]研究、[[重金属]]污染治理<ref>{{Cite journal|title=鸭跖草(Commelina communis)对铜的耐性和积累研究|author=廖斌|url=http://www.cnki.net/kcms/doi/10.13671/j.hjkxxb.2003.06.018.html|journal=环境科学学报  Acta Scientiae Circumstantiae|issue=6|doi=10.13671/j.hjkxxb.2003.06.018|others=邓冬梅.杨兵.束文圣.林里.蓝崇钰|year=2003|volume=23|page=|issn=0253-2468|pmid=|id=WH:0253-2468(2003)06-0797-05|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180601154446/http://www.cnki.net/kcms/doi/10.13671/j.hjkxxb.2003.06.018.html|archivedate=2018-06-01}}</ref>等领域也有广泛的应用。

== 词源 ==