Commelina

Commelina
Commelina communis flower with typical arrangement of floral parts: 3 staminodes are present above, 3 fertile stamens below with the central one differing in size and form, and a single style emerging between them (curved in this species).
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Commelinales
Family: Commelinaceae
Tribe: Commelineae
Genus: Commelina
L.
Type species
Commelina communis
L.
Species

See List of Commelina species

Synonyms[1]
  • Erxlebia Medik.
  • Hedwigia Medik.
  • Lechea Lour.
  • Ananthopus Raf.
  • Allotria Raf.
  • Dirtea Raf.
  • Eudipetala Raf.
  • Larnalles Raf.
  • Nephralles Raf.
  • Ovidia Raf.
  • Allosperma Raf.
  • Isanthina Rchb. ex Steud.
  • Heterocarpus Wight
  • Disecocarpus Hassk.
  • Omphalotheca Hassk.
  • Phaeosphaerion Hassk.
  • Spathodithyros Hassk.
  • Trithyrocarpus Hassk.
  • Athyrocarpus Schltdl. ex Benth. 1883 not Schltdl. 1855 nor Schltdl. ex Hassk. 1866
  • Commelinopsis Pichon

Commelina is a genus of approximately 170 species[2] commonly called dayflowers due to the short lives of their flowers. They are less often known as widow's tears. It is by far the largest genus of its family, Commelinaceae.[3] The Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus of the 18th century named the genus after the two Dutch botanists Jan Commelijn and his nephew Caspar, each representing one of the showy petals of Commelina communis.[2]

The dayflowers are herbs that may be either perennial or annual. They are characterised by their zygomorphic flowers and by the involucral bracts called spathes that surround the flower stalks.[4] These spathes are often filled with a mucilaginous liquid. Each spathe houses either one or two scorpioid cymes, with the upper cyme being either vestigial or bearing from one to several typically male flowers, and the lower cyme bearing several flowers. All members of the genus have alternate leaves.[2]

The Asiatic dayflower (Commelina communis) is probably the best known species in the West. It is a common weed in parts of Europe and throughout eastern North America.[2] Several species, such as Commelina benghalensis, are eaten as a leaf vegetable in Southeast Asia and Africa.[5]

  1. ^ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. ^ a b c d Faden, Robert (2006), "Commelina", Flora of North America online, vol. 22, New York & Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Acevedo-Rodriguez, Pedro; Strong, Mark T. (2005), "Monocotyledons and Gymnosperms of Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands", Contributions of the United States National Herbarium, 52: 157–158
  4. ^ Hong, Deyuan; DeFillipps, Robert A. (2000), "Commelina diffusa", in Wu, Z. Y.; Raven, P.H.; Hong, D.Y. (eds.), Flora of China, vol. 24, Beijing: Science Press; St. Louis: Missouri Botanical Garden Press, p. 35
  5. ^ Qaiser, M.; Jafri, S.M.H. (1975), "Commelina benghalensis", in Ali, S.I.; Qaiser, M. (eds.), Flora of Pakistan, vol. 84, St. Louis: University of Karachi & Missouri Botanical Garden, p. 10