896.000 Commelina
Faden, R. (2012) Commelinaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa
Malaise, P. (1988) Commelinaceae Flore du Rwanda Spermatophytes Volume IV 119-142
Van den Burg, J.W. & Bidault, E. (2020) Commelinaceae Flore du Gabon 55 1-88
Description of the genus
Annual or perennial herbs. Underground stolons sometimes bearing cleistogamous flowers. Flowers in one or two 1-6-flowered cymes enclosed in a spathe. Upper cyme 1-(-3)-flowered, usually male, exserted on a long peduncle, sometimes rudimentary or 0. Lower cyme included, borne on a short peduncle; flowers 2-6, all bisexual or some male, just exserted at flowering time. Flowers open in morning, soon deliquescent. Petals 3, free; upper 2 flat, variously coloured, the lower reduced, often colourless. Stamens 3, lower fertile, upper 3 staminodes, reduced. Ovary (2-)3-locular. Fruit a capsule. Derivation of name: Named after Kaspar (1667-1731) and Johann (1629-1698) Commelin, Dutch botanists. Worldwide: c. 170 species in tropical and warm regions Zimbabwe: 22 taxa. |
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Links to taxa: View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus
| Species | FZ divisions | Content |
| africana L. [Agg] | N,W,C,E,S | Description, Image |
| aspera Benth. var. aspera | N,W,C | Description |
| aspera Benth. var. opulens (C.B.Clarke) Faden | ? | |
| benghalensis L. | N,W,C,E,S | Description, Image |
| bracteosa Hassk. | N,W,C,E,S | |
| diffusa Burm. f. subsp. diffusa | N,W,C,E | Description, Image |
| diffusa Burm. f. subsp. scandens (Welw. ex C.B.Clarke) Oberm. | N,S | |
| eckloniana Kunth [Agg] | N,W,C,S | Description, Image |
| erecta L. [Agg] | N,W,C,E,S | |
| erecta L. subsp. livingstonii (C.B.Clarke) J.K.Morton | ||
| fluviatilis Brenan | W | |
| forskaolii Vahl | N,W,S | Description, Image |
| kotschyi Hassk. | W,S | |
| neurophylla C.B. Clarke | E | Description, Image |
| nigritana Benth. var. nigritana | N | |
| nyasensis C.B. Clarke | N | |
| petersii Hassk. | S | |
| schweinfurthii C.B.Clarke subsp. ceciliae (C.B. Clarke) Faden | N,W,C,E | Description, Image |
| sp. A sensu Faden | W | |
| subulata Roth | N,W,C,E,S | Description, Image |
| welwitschii C.B.Clarke | N,W,C,E,S | Description, Image |
| zambesica C.B.Clarke | N,W,C,E,S |
Other sources of information about Commelina:
Our websites:
Flora of Botswana: CommelinaFlora of Burundi: Commelina
Flora of Caprivi: Commelina
Flora of the DRC: Commelina
Flora of Malawi: Commelina
Flora of Mozambique: Commelina
Flora of Rwanda: Commelina
Flora of Zambia: Commelina
External websites:
African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): CommelinaBHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Commelina
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Commelina
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Commelina
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Commelina
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Commelina
JSTOR Plant Science: Commelina
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Commelina
Plants of the World Online: Commelina
Tropicos: Commelina
Wikipedia: Commelina