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Commelinaceae Mirb. Search in IPNISearch in NYBG Virtual Herbarium Decrease font Increase font Restore font


Flora Data (Last Modified On 10/31/2012)
Family Commelinaceae
Description Succulent annual or perennial herbs. Leaves alternate, the petioles sheathing at the nodes. Inflorescence of simple or compound scorpioid cymes, rarely 1- flowered. Sepals 3, foliaceous, petalaceous, or scarious. Petals 3, equal or very unequal, the third occasionally very greatly reduced, mostly ephemeral and deliquescent. Stamens 1-6, occasionally sterile; filaments frequently bearded with moniliform hairs, equal or strongly unequal; anthers usually with a conspicuous sterile connective. Pistil 2- to 3-celled; capsule loculicidal, containing 3-12 seeds, ordinarily with a striking micropylar pit.
Key a. Ultimate branches of the inflorescence composed of individual scorpioid cymes appearing 1-sided superficially, solitary or variously clustered; corolla regular or irregular. b. Cymes variously clustered or compounded, rarely solitary, but not enclosed by a spathaceous bract. c. Fertile anthers separate; plants caulescent, terrestrial. d. Anthers large, with an inconspicuous connective, dehiscing by apical pores; seeds with a fleshy aril -1. DICHORISANDRA dd. Anthers small, but with a conspicuous sterile connective, de- hiscing longitudinally; seeds dry. e. Inflorescence of solitary cymes or umbellate clusters of cymes; ovary and capsules 3-celled. f. Flowers regular or essentially so, very small -2. ANEILEMA ff. Flowers very strongly irregular, of moderate size - 3. TINANTIA ee. Inflorescence a dense panicle or thyrse; ovary and capsules 2-celled -4. FLOSCOPA cc. Fertile anthers fused into a cochleate hood; large acaulescent epiphytes -5. COCHLIOSTEMA bb. Cymes solitary, enclosed by a conspicuous spathaceous bract. c. Fruits dehiscent, capsular; sterile stamens with cruciate anthers-_ 6. COMMELINA cc. Fruits indehiscent, pergamentaceous; sterile stamens with sagittate anthers - 7. PHAEOSPHAERION aa. Ultimate branches of the inflorescence composed of paired sessile scorpioid cymes appearing as a 2-sided unit superficially, rarely reduced tp a solitary flower; corolla regular. b. Cymes subtended only by very inconspicuous scarious or slightly foliaceous bracts. c. Plants small or mediocre; stems creeping below, but erect or as- cending above; bracts minute, scarious, not at all leaf-like; sta- mens 6, usually in 2 dissimilar series-- 8. TRIPOGANDRA cc. Small prostrate plants; bracts inconspicuous but slightly foliaceous and obviously similar to the reduced upper stem leaves; stamens 1-6, all essentially similar -9. CALLISIA bb. Cymes immediately subtended by 2-4 conspicuous foliaceous bracts. c. Stout erect herbs; sepals becoming fleshy in fruit - - 10. CAMPELIA cc. Small creeping herbs; sepals withering in fruit. d. Both sepals and petals free --- 11. TRADESCANTIA dd. Both sepals and petals fused into narrow tubes -12. ZEBRINA
Note Rhoeo discolor (L'Her.) Hance, a stout succulent herb with sword-shaped leaves purple beneath, is commonly planted in gardens. It is a native of Yucatan.