View source for Commelina

{{Treatment/ID
|accepted_name=Commelina
|accepted_authority=Plumier ex Linnaeus
|publications={{Treatment/Publication
|title=Sp. Pl.
|place=1: 40. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed.; 5:25, 1754
|year=1754
}}
|common_names=Dayflower;widow's-tears
|basionyms=
|synonyms=
|hierarchy=Commelinaceae;Commelina
|hierarchy_nav=<div class="higher-taxa"><div class="higher-taxon"><small>family</small>[[Commelinaceae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>genus</small>[[Commelina]]</div></div>
|etymology=for the two Dutch botanists Jan and Kaspar Commelijn, because of the two showy petals
|volume=Volume 22
|mention_page=
|treatment_page=
}}<!--

--><span class="statement" id="st-undefined" data-properties=""><b>Herbs,</b> perennial or annual. <b>Roots</b> thin or tuberous. <b>Leaves</b> 2-ranked or spirally arranged, not glaucous; blade sessile or petiolate. <b>Inflorescences</b> terminal, leaf-opposed; cymes 1–2, enclosed in spathes, proximal cyme several-flowered, distal cyme vestigial or with 1–several staminate flowers; spathes often filled with mucilaginous liquid, margins distinct or basally connate; bracteoles usually absent. <b>Flowers</b> bisexual and staminate, bilaterally symmetric; pedicels well developed; sepals distinct or proximal 2 connate, unequal; petals distinct, proximal petal often different color than distal 2, smaller or subequal, distal 2 blue (occasionally lilac, lavender, yellow, peach, apricot, or white), clawed; stamens (5–)6, proximal 3 fertile, medial different in form, size from others, distal (2–)3 staminodial; filaments glabrous; antherodes commonly 4–6-lobed; ovary 2–3-locular, ovules 1–2 per locule, 1-seriate. <b>Capsules</b> 2–3-valved, 2–3-locular. <b>Seeds</b> 1–2 per locule; hilum linear; embryotega lateral. <b>x</b> = 11–15.</span><!--

-->{{Treatment/Body
|distribution=Almost worldwide;mainly tropical.
|discussion=<p>Species ca. 170 (9 in the flora).</p>
|tables=
|references={{Treatment/Reference
|id=brashier1966a
|text=Brashier, C. K. 1966. A revision of Commelina (Plum.) L. in the U.S.A. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 93: 1--19.
}}{{Treatment/Reference
|id=faden1993a
|text=Faden, R. B. 1993b. The misconstrued and rare species of Commelina (Commelinaceae) in the eastern United States. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 80: 208--218.
}}{{Treatment/Reference
|id=pennell1916a
|text=Pennell, F. W. 1916. Notes on plants of the southern United States—I. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 43: 96--111.
}}
}}<!--

--><div class="treatment-key">
==Key==
<div class="treatment-key-group">
  
{| class="wikitable fna-keytable"
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Spathes with margins distinct to base.
|[[#key-0-2| > 2]]
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Spathes with margins connate basally.
|[[#key-0-5| > 5]]
|-id=key-0-2
|2
|Perennials with erect to ascending stems; roots tuberous; leaves linear to linear-lanceolate
|[[Commelina dianthifolia|Commelina dianthifolia]]
|-id=key-0-2
|2
|Annuals or perennials usually with decumbent to scandent stems; leaves narrowly lanceolate to ovate-elliptic.
|[[#key-0-3| > 3]]
|-id=key-0-3
|3
|Spathes generally whitish or pale green toward peduncle with contrasting, dark green veins; proximal petal white or paler than others; capsules 2-locular; seeds rugose pitted-reticulate
|[[Commelina communis|Commelina communis]]
|-id=key-0-3
|3
|Spathes without contrasting veins; proximal petal ± concolorous with others; capsules 3-locular; seeds reticulate or smooth to faintly alveolate.
|[[#key-0-4| > 4]]
|-id=key-0-4
|4
|Spathes not at all to slightly falcate; distal cyme usually vestigial (rarely well developed, 1-flowered); seeds smooth to faintly alveolate
|[[Commelina caroliniana|Commelina caroliniana]]
|-id=key-0-4
|4
|Spathes usually distinctly falcate; distal cyme in larger spathes usually well developed, 1–several-flowered; seeds reticulate
|[[Commelina diffusa|Commelina diffusa]]
|-id=key-0-5
|5
|Flowers apricot- or peach-colored
|[[Commelina gambiae|Commelina gambiae]]
|-id=key-0-5
|5
|Flowers blue (rarely lilac to lavender or white).
|[[#key-0-6| > 6]]
|-id=key-0-6
|6
|Leaf sheaths with auricles at summit; roots stout; proximal petal white, minute; locules all 1-seeded
|[[Commelina erecta|Commelina erecta]]
|-id=key-0-6
|6
|Leaf sheaths not auriculate; roots thin; proximal petal blue to lilac or lavender, conspicuous; some locules usually 2-seeded.
|[[#key-0-7| > 7]]
|-id=key-0-7
|7
|Perennials with erect to ascending stems; leaf sheaths with red hairs at summit; leaf blades 6–20 cm; spathes 1.5–3.5 cm; subterranean, cleistogamous flowers absent
|[[Commelina virginica|Commelina virginica]]
|-id=key-0-7
|7
|Annuals or perennials with ascending to decumbent, repent or scrambling stems; sheaths with or without red hairs at summit; leaf blades 1.5–7(–9) cm; spathes 0.5–2 cm; subterranean, cleistogamous flowers sometimes present.
|[[#key-0-8| > 8]]
|-id=key-0-8
|8
|Leaf blades ovate to lanceolate-elliptic; sheaths often with red hairs at summit; lateral stamen filaments not winged; capsules usually 5-seeded
|[[Commelina benghalensis|Commelina benghalensis]]
|-id=key-0-8
|8
|Leaf blades oblong to lanceolate-oblong or oblong-elliptic; sheaths without red hairs; lateral stamen filaments winged; capsules usually 1-seeded
|[[Commelina forskaolii|Commelina forskaolii]]
|}
</div></div><!--

-->{{#Taxon:
name=Commelina
|author=
|authority=Plumier ex Linnaeus
|rank=genus
|parent rank=family
|synonyms=
|basionyms=
|family=Commelinaceae
|distribution=Almost worldwide;mainly tropical.
|reference=brashier1966a;faden1993a;pennell1916a
|publication title=Sp. Pl.
|publication year=1754
|special status=
|source xml=https://jpend@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-data-curation.git/src/9216fc802291cd3df363fd52122300479582ede7/coarse_grained_fna_xml/V22/V22_550.xml
|genus=Commelina
}}<!--

-->[[Category:Treatment]][[Category:Commelinaceae]]