Commelina cyanea

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Commelina cyanea
Commelina cyanea square.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Commelinales
Family: Commelinaceae
Genus: Commelina
Species:
C. cyanea
Binomial name
Commelina cyanea

Commelina cyanea, commonly known as scurvy weed, is a perennial prostrate herb of the family Commelinaceae native to moist forests and woodlands of eastern Australia, [1] Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. The blue flowers appear over the warmer months and are pollinated by bees and flies.

Contents

Taxonomy

Commelina cyanea was one of the many species initially described by the botanist Robert Brown in his 1810 work Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen and still bears its original name. [2] The genus name Commelina was chosen based on the Asiatic dayflower. Linnaeus picked the name in honour of the Dutch botanists Jan and Caspar Commelijn, using the two large showy petals of Commelina communis to symbolise them. [3] The specific name is the Latin adjective cyaneus, meaning "blue". As well as scurvy weed, alternative common names include (native) wandering Jew, forget-me-not, [2] and creeping Christian. [4]

Description

Commelina cyanea is a trailing herbaceous perennial plant, whose stems grow along the ground. [1] It readily roots at the nodes when they come into contact with the soil. They die off in winter. [5] The leaves are ovate to narrow-ovate, and measure 2–7 cm (1–3 in) long by 0.5–1.5 cm (0.20–0.59 in) wide. The flowers can occur at any time from spring to autumn. [1] They are deep blue and about 1.5 cm (0.59 in) in diameter, followed by a capsule bearing 2-5 2–3 mm long seeds. [5]

Distribution and habitat

The species range is across eastern New South Wales, from Narooma northwards, up into Queensland. [1] It also occurs on Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. [6] [7] It grows in wetter shaded areas in forest habitats. [1]

Ecology

Commelina cyanea is pollinated by a variety of native bees such as Nomia aurantifer , Amegilla pulchra , halictid and colletid bees, and syrphid flies (genus Syritta ). [8] Wallabies and rabbits eat the vegetation. [5] Vegetation is also possibly dispersed by water. [5]

Uses

The leaves were used by early non-indigenous colonists to alleviate scurvy, and hence its common name. [9]

Attractive in flower, Commelina cyanea adapts readily to cultivation and can be grown as a groundcover or in hanging baskets. It is easily propagated from cuttings. [10] It resembles the introduced weed wandering Jew ( Tradescantia fluminensis ), but the latter has white flowers and a segmented stem as well as a weak root system. It also lacks the hairy leaf sheathes of C. cyanea. [11] However, C. cyanea can itself be weedy in gardens at times. [12]

Related Research Articles

<i>Tradescantia</i> Genus of plants

Tradescantia is a genus of 85 species of herbaceous perennial wildflowers in the family Commelinaceae, native to the Americas from southern Canada to northern Argentina, including the West Indies. Members of the genus are known by many common names, including inchplant, wandering jew, spiderwort, dayflower and trad.

<i>Cirsium vulgare</i> Species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

Cirsium vulgare, the spear thistle, bull thistle, or common thistle, is a species of the Asteraceae genus Cirsium, native throughout most of Europe, Western Asia, and northwestern Africa. It is also naturalised in North America, Africa, and Australia and is an invasive weed in some areas. It is the national flower of Scotland.

<i>Parkinsonia aculeata</i> Species of legume

Parkinsonia aculeata is a species of perennial flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. Common names include palo verde, Mexican palo verde, Parkinsonia, Jerusalem thorn, jelly bean tree, palo de rayo, and retama.

<i>Cirsium arvense</i> Species of flowering plant

Cirsium arvense is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native throughout Europe and western Asia, northern Africa and widely introduced elsewhere. The standard English name in its native area is creeping thistle. It is also commonly known as Canada thistle and field thistle.

<i>Acanthus mollis</i> Species of flowering plant

Acanthus mollis, commonly known as bear's breeches, sea dock, bear's foot plant, sea holly, gator plant or oyster plant, is a species of plant in the family Acanthaceae and is native to the Mediterranean region. It is a leafy, clump-forming perennial herb, with a rosette of relatively large, lobed or toothed leaves, and purplish and white flowers on an erect spike.

<i>Asparagus setaceus</i> Species of plant

Asparagus setaceus, commonly known as common asparagus fern, asparagus grass, lace fern, climbing asparagus, or ferny asparagus, is a climbing plant in the genus Asparagus. Despite its common name, the plant is not a true fern, but has leaves that resemble one.

<i>Asparagus aethiopicus</i> Species of flowering plant

Asparagus aethiopicus, Sprenger's asparagus, is a plant native to the Cape Provinces and the Northern Provinces of South Africa. Often used as an ornamental plant, it is considered an invasive weed in many locations. Asparagus fern, asparagus grass and foxtail fern are common names; however, it is unrelated to true ferns. A. aethiopicus has been confused with A. densiflorus, now regarded as a separate species, so that information about A. aethiopicus will often be found under the name A. densiflorus.

<i>Commelina communis</i> Species of flowering plant

Commelina communis, commonly known as the Asiatic dayflower, is an herbaceous annual plant in the dayflower family. It gets its name because the blooms last for only one day. It is native throughout much of East Asia and northern parts of Southeast Asia. In China, the plant is known as yazhicao, roughly translating to "duckfoot herb", while in Japan it is known as tsuyukusa, meaning "dew herb". It has also been introduced to parts of central and southeastern Europe and much of eastern North America, where it has spread to become a noxious weed. It is common in disturbed sites and in moist soil. The flowers emerge from summer through fall and are distinctive with two relatively large blue petals and one very small white petal.

The Wandering Jew is a character from Christian legend.

<i>Commelina diffusa</i> Species of flowering plant

Commelina diffusa, sometimes known as the climbing dayflower or spreading dayflower, is a pantropical herbaceous plant in the dayflower family. It has been introduced to the southeastern United States where it is most common in wet disturbed soils. There are two recognised varieties, one being the type and the other being C. diffusa var. gigas, which is native to Asia and has been introduced to Florida. It flowers from spring to fall and is most common in disturbed situations, moist places and forests. In China the plant is used medicinally as a febrifuge and a diuretic. A blue dye is also extracted from the flower for paints. In the Hawaiian Islands, it is known as "honohono grass", although it is technically not a grass. "Honohono" refers to the alternating structure of the leaves. At least one publication lists it as an edible plant in New Guinea.

<i>Commelina benghalensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Commelina benghalensis, commonly known as the Benghal dayflower, tropical spiderwort, or wandering Jew, kanshira in Bengali, is a perennial herb native to tropical Asia and Africa. It has been widely introduced to areas outside its native range, including to the neotropics, Hawaii, the West Indies and to both coasts of North America. It has a long flowering period, from spring to fall in subtropical areas, and throughout the year closer to the equator. It is often associated with disturbed soils.

<i>Passiflora herbertiana</i> Species of vine

Passiflora herbertiana, or native passionfruit, is a widespread climbing twiner native to moist forests on the coast and ranges of eastern Australia. The subspecies P. h. insulae-howeiP.S.Green is endemic to Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea.

<i>Olea paniculata</i> Species of flowering plant

Olea paniculata, commonly known as the native olive, is a plant of the genus Olea and a relative of the olive. It grows natively in Pakistan and southwestern China (Yunnan) through tropical Asia to Australia and the Pacific islands of New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Lord Howe Island.

Aizoon pubescens is a low-growing perennial herb in the family Aizoaceae. It is native to South Africa and naturalised elsewhere.

<i>Persoonia lanceolata</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae native to New South Wales in eastern Australia

Persoonia lanceolata, commonly known as lance-leaf geebung, is a shrub native to New South Wales in eastern Australia. It reaches 3 m (10 ft) in height and has smooth grey bark and bright green foliage. Its small yellow flowers grow on racemes and appear in the austral summer and autumn, followed by green fleshy fruits which ripen the following spring. Within the genus Persoonia, P. lanceolata belongs to the lanceolata group of 58 closely related species. It interbreeds with several other species found in its range.

<i>Clematis orientalis</i> Species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae

Clematis orientalis is a deciduous vine or scrambling shrub in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, that originates from Asia and Central Europe. It was brought to the United States as an ornamental plant but escaped cultivation leading to its classification as a noxious weed in some states. Common names for C. orientalis include Chinese clematis, Oriental virginsbower, orange peel, and orange peel clematis.

<i>Senna acclinis</i> Species of legume

Senna acclinis, commonly known as rainforest cassia or brush senna, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to near-coastal areas of eastern Australia. It is a shrub with pinnate leaves and bright golden yellow flowers in groups of two to five and long, narrow seed pods. It is similar to other species of Senna that are environmental weeds.

<i>Commelina ensifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Commelina ensifolia, commonly known as scurvy weed, scurvy grass or wandering Jew, is an annual herb native to Australia, India, and Sri Lanka.

Scurvy weed is a common name for several flowering plants and may refer to:

<i>Persicaria decipiens</i> Species of plant

Persicaria decipiens, commonly known as slender knotweed, is a species of flowering plant native to Australia and Asia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 PlantNET, plant profile Commelina cyanea
  2. 1 2 "Commelina cyanea R. Br". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  3. Faden, Robert (2006), "Commelina diffusa", Flora of North America online, vol. 22, New York & Oxford: Oxford University Press, retrieved 2007-06-21
  4. "What's flowering in the park - Commelina cyanea". Friends of Lane Cove National Park website. Friends of Lane Cove National Park. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Commelina cyanea". Ecology of Cumberland Plain Woodland. Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. Archived from the original on 29 March 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  6. Rodd, A.N.; Pickard, John (1983). "Census of Vascular Flora of Lord Howe Island" (PDF). Cunninghamia. 1 (2): 267–80. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  7. Peter Green (23 March 2011). "Norfolk Island National Park - Flora". Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities website. Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 23 November 2008. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  8. Geoff Williams; Paul Adam (2010). The Flowering of Australia's Rainforests: A Plant and Pollination Miscellany. Collingwood, Victoria: CSIRO publishing. p. 136. ISBN   978-0-643-09761-2.
  9. Association of Societies for Growing Australian Plants (ASGAP), Commelina cyanea. "Commelina cyanea". Archived from the original on 2007-04-20. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
  10. Elliot RW, Jones DL, Blake T (1984). Encyclopaedia of Australian Plants Suitable for Cultivation:Volume 3 - Ce-Er. Port Melbourne: Lothian Press. p. 62. ISBN   0-85091-167-2.
  11. "Wandering Jew (Trad)". Sydney Weeds Committees website. Sydney Weeds Committees. 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  12. Fairley A, Moore P (2000). Native Plants of the Sydney District: An Identification Guide (2nd ed.). Kenthurst, NSW: Kangaroo Press. p. 325. ISBN   0-7318-1031-7.