List of Commelinaceae genera

This is a list of Commelinaceae genera as of 2025. This list includes all genera recognised as current by the Kew's Plants of the World Online. ^[1]

Genera list

Cartonema spicatum , as illustrated in Robert Brown's Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen

Inflorescence of Palisota pynaertii

Commelina lukei

A species of Tradescantia being visited by a fly.

Dichorisandra thyrsiflora , the type species of Dichorisandra

Cyanotis beddomei in cultivation

Cochliostema jacobianum

Aneilema aequinoctiale from Tanzania

Pollia japonica with the syrphid fly Episyrphus balteatus

Genus Authority	Year	Classification	Type species	# of species	Distribution
Cartonema R.Br. [2]	1810	Cartonematoideae Cartonemateae	Cartonema spicatum R.Br.	7	Australia
Triceratella Brenan [3]	1961	Cartonematoideae Triceratelleae	Triceratella drummondii Brenan	1	Zimbabwe & Mozambique
Palisota Rchb. ex Endlicher [4]	1836	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Palisotineae	Palisota ambigua (P.Beauv.) C.B.Clarke	31	Africa
Streptolirion Edgew. [5]	1845	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Streptoliriineae	Streptolirion volubile Edgew.	2	Himalayas to Japan
Spatholirion Ridl. [6]	1896	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Streptoliriineae	Spatholirion ornatum Ridl.	7	China to Malaysia
Aetheolirion Forman [7]	1962	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Streptoliriineae	Aetheolirion stenolobium Forman	1	Thailand
Cyanotis D.Don [8]	1825	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Cyanotinae	Cyanotis barbata D.Don	51	Paleotropics
Coleotrype C.B.Clarke [9]	1881	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Coleotrypineae	Coleotrype natalensis C.B.Clarke	10	Africa, Madagascar
Amischotolype Hassk. [10]	1863	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Coleotrypineae	Amischotolype glabrata [N 1] Hassk.	28	Central Africa, India to New Guinea
Siderasis Raf. [11]	1837 ("1836")	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Dichorisandrinae	Siderasis acaulis [N 2] Raf.	6	Eastern Brazil
Dichorisandra J.C.Mikan [12]	1820	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Dichorisandrinae	Dichorisandra thyrsiflora J.C.Mikan	57	Neotropics
Cochliostema Lem. [13]	1859	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Dichorisandrinae	Cochliostema odoratissimum Lem.	2	Nicaragua to Ecuador
Geogenanthus [N 3] Ule [14]	1913	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Dichorisandrinae	Geogenanthus wittianus [N 4] (Ule) Ule	3	Western South America
Plowmanianthus Faden & C.R.Hardy [15]	2004	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Dichorisandrinae	Plowmanianthus perforans Faden & C.R.Hardy	5	Panama to Amazonian Bassin
Tinantia Scheidw. [16]	1839	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Thyrsanthemineae	Tinantia fugax [N 5] Scheidw.	13	Texas to Neotropics
Thyrsanthemum Pichon [17]	1946	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Thyrsanthemineae	Thyrsanthemum floribundum (M.Martens & Galeotti) Pichon	4	Mexico
Weldenia Schult.f. [18]	1829	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Thyrsanthemineae	Weldenia candida Schult.f.	2	Mexico and Guatemala
Matudanthus D.R.Hunt [19]	1978	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Thyrsanthemineae	Matudanthus nanus (M.Martens & Galeotti) D.R.Hunt	1	Mexico
Sauvallia C.Wright ex Hassk. [20]	1870	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Thyrsanthemineae	Sauvallea blainii C.Wright	1	Cuba
Elasis D.R.Hunt [19]	1978	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Tradescantiinae	Elasis hirsuta (Kunth) D.R.Hunt	2	Ecuador
Gibasis Raf. [11]	1839	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Tradescantiinae	Gibasis pulchella (Kunth)Raf.	14	Neotropics
Tradescantia L. [21]	1753	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Tradescantiinae	Tradescantia virginiana L.	86	New World
Callisia Loefl. [22]	1758	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Tradescantiinae	Callisia repens (Jacq.) L.	19	Tropical and subtropical Americas
Tripogandra Raf. [11]	1837	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Tradescantiinae	Tripogandra multiflora (Sw.) Raf.	22	Neotropics
Stanfieldiella Brenan [23]	1960	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Stanfieldiella imperforata (C.B.Clarke) Brenan	4	Africa
Floscopa Lour. [24]	1790	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Floscopa scandens Lour.	21	Pantropical
Buforrestia C.B.Clarke [9]	1881	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Buforrestia mannii C.B.Clarke	3	West and Central Africa and northern South America
Murdannia Royle [25]	1840 ("1839")	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Murdannia scapiflora [N 6] (Roxb.) Royle	61	Pantropcal
Tricarpelema J.K.Morton [26]	1966	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Tricarpelema thomsonii [N 7] (C.B.Clarke) J.K.Morton	8	India to Southeast Asia
Pseudoparis H.Perrier [27]	1936	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Pseudoparis cauliflora H.Perrier	2 or 3	Madagascar
Polyspatha Benth. [28]	1849	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Polyspatha paniculata Benth.	3	Tropical Africa
Dictyospermum Wight [29]	1853	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Dictyospermum montanum Wight	5	India and Sri Lanka to New Guinea
Pollia Thunb. [30]	1781	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Pollia japonica Thunb.	19	Pantropical
Aneilema R.Br. [2]	1810	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Aneilema biflorum R.Br.	66	Pantropical
Rhopalephora Hassk. [31]	1864	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Rhopalephora blumei [N 8] Hassk.	4	Madagascar, India to Fiji
Commelina L. [21]	1753	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Commelina communis L.	208	Cosmopolitan
Tapheocarpa Conran [32]	1994	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Tapheocarpa calandrinioides (F.Muell.) Conran	1	Australia

Notes

1. The correct name for this species is Amischotolype mollissima (Blume) Hassk.
2. This name is illegitimate; the correct name is Siderasis fuscata (Lodd.) H.E.Moore.
3. This name was proposed as a replacement for Ule's own Chamaeanthus (Verh. Bot. Vereins Prov. Brandenburg50:71, 1909, "1908"), which was predated by Chamaeanthus J.J.Sm. (Orch. Jav.:552, 1905), but the replacement Uleopsis had been published by Friedrich Karl Georg Fedde in the meantime (Just's Bot. Jahresber.37(2):77, 1911, "1909" ). The correct name is Uleopsis, but is not in current use.
4. The currently used name for this species is Geogenanthus poeppigii (Miq.) Faden; the correct, but yet unpublished combination would be Uleopsis poeppigii.
5. A synonym of Tinantia erecta (Jacq.) Fenzl.
6. This species is currently treated as a synonym of Murdannia edulis (Stokes) Faden.
7. Now a synonym of Tricarpelema giganteum (Hassk.) H.Hara.
8. This species' correct name is Rhopalephora micrantha (Vahl) Faden.

References

• Govaerts, R.; Faden, Robert B. (2004), World Checklist of Commelinaceae., Kew: The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, retrieved 21 July 2010

1. "Commelinaceae Mirb". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 21 March 2025.
2. Brown, Robert (1810). Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae et insulae Van-Diemen (in Latin). London: R. Taylor & Co. pp. 270–271.
3. Brenan, J.P.M. (1961). "Triceratella: a new genus of Commelinaceae from Southern Rhodesia". Kirkia. 1: 14–19.
4. Endlicher, Stephan, ed. (1837). Enumeratio plantarum quas in Novae Hollandiae ora austro-occidentali ad fluvium Cygnorumet in sinu Regis Georgii collegit Carolus Liber Baro de Hügel (in Latin). Vienna: Fr. Beck University. p. 125.
5. "June 3". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London. 1 (26): 252–254. 1845. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.1845.tb01000-26.x. (Paper summary) ^[a]
6. Ridley, H.N. (1896). "A New Genus of Commelinaceae". Journal of Botany, British and Foreign. 34: 328–329.
7. Forman, L.L. (1962). "Aëtheolirion, a New Genus of Commelinaceae from Thailand, with Notes on Allied Genera". Kew Bulletin. 26 (2): 209–221. doi:10.2307/4118819. JSTOR   4118819.
8. Don, David (1825). Prodromus Florae Nepalensis. London: J.Gale. p. 45.
9. Clarke, C.B. (1881). "Commelinaceae". In de Candolle, Alphonse; de Candolle, Casimir (eds.). Monographiaea Phanerogamarum (in Latin). Vol. 3. Paris: G.Masson. pp. 113–324.
   • Buforrestia, p. 233
   • Coleotrype, p. 238
10. Hasskarl, J.K. (1863). "Adumbrationes Commelinacearum quarundam, quas in Africae orientalis littore, Mozambique reperit Prof. Peters et amplius in hujus opere "Reise etc." descripsit". Flora (in Latin). 46 (25): 385–393.
11. Rafinesque (1836). Flora Telluriana (in Latin). Vol. 3. Philadelphia: H. Probasco. p. 67.
    • Gibasis, p. 2:16
    • Siderasis, p. 3:67
    • Tripogandra, p. 2:16
12. Mikan, J. C. (1820). Delectus Florae et Faunae Brasiliensis. Vienna: Antonii Strauss. plate 3.
13. Lemaire, Ch. (1859). "Cochliostema". L'Illustration Horticole (in French). 6 (Misc): 70.
14. Ule, E. (1913). "Berichtigung". Repertorium Specierum Novarum Regni Vegetabilis (in German). 11 (31–33): 524. doi:10.1002/fedr.19130113107.
15. Hardy, Christopher R; Robert B. Faden (2004). "Plowmanianthus, a New Genus of Commelinaceae with Five New Species from Tropical America". Systematic Botany. 29 (2): 316–333. doi:10.1600/036364404774195511. JSTOR   25063964. S2CID   85805821.
16. Scheidweiler, M. (1839). "Eines Neuen Genus aus der Familie der Commelinaceen". Allgemeine Gartenzeitung (in German). 7 (46): 365–366.
17. Pichon, M. (1946). "Sur les Commélinacées". Notulae Systematica (in French). 12 (3–4): 217–243, 224.
18. Schultes, J.H. (1829). "Weldenia, eine neue Pflanzengattung". Flora. 12 (1): 1–9.
19. Hunt, D.R. (1978). "Three New Genera in Commelinaceae: American Commelinaceae: VI". Kew Bulletin. 33 (2): 331–334. doi:10.2307/4109587. JSTOR   4109587.
20. Sauvalle, Francisco A. (October 1871). "Flora Cubana". Anales de la Academia de Ciencias Medicas, Fisicas y Naturales de la Habana (in Latin). 7: 607–611. (The Flora was published in numerous unnumbered parts over vols. 5-8)
21. Linnaeus (1753). Species Plantarum (in Latin).
    • Commelina, p. 40
    • Tradescantia, p. 299
22. Löfling, Pehr (1758). Iter Hispanicum. Stockholm: Ttryckt på Direct. Lars Salvii Kostnad. p. 305.
23. Brenan, J.P.M. (1960). "Notes on African Commelinaceae: II. The Genus Buforrestia C. B. Cl. and a New related Genus, Stanfordiella". Kew Bulletin. 14 (2): 280–286. doi:10.2307/4114811. JSTOR   4114811.
24. de Loureiro, João (1790). Flora Cochinchinensis (in Latin). Lisbon: Typis, et expensis academicis. p. 192.
25. Royle, J.Forbes (1839). Illustrations of the botany and other branches of the natural history of the Himalayan Mountains. Vol. 1. London: Wm. H. Allen. p. 403.
26. Morton, J.K. (1966). "A revision of the genus Aneilema R. Brown (Commelinaceae) with a cytotaxonomic account of the West African species". Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Botany. 59 (380): 431–478. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.1966.tb00073.x.
27. Perrier de la Bâthie, H. (1936). "Commelinacées de Madagascar". Notulae Systematica (in French). 5 (3): 173–216, 176.
28. Hooker, J.D.; Bentham, George (1849). Flora Nigritiana. London: H. Bailliere. p. 543.
29. Wight, Robert (1853). Icones Plantarum Indiae Orientalis. Vol. 6. Madras: J.B. Pharoah. p. 29.
30. Thunberg, C.P. (1781). Nova Genera Plantarum. Vol. 1. p. 11.
31. Hasskarl, J.C. (1864). "Rhopalephora, eine neue Commelinaceen-Gattung". Botanische Zeitung. 22 (8): 58–61.
32. Conran, J.G. (1994). "Tapheocarpa (Commelinaceae) a new Australian genus with hypogeous fruits". Australian Systematic Botany. 7 (6): 585–589. doi:10.1071/SB9940585.

Note

1. The paper itself was published as Edgeworth, M. Pakenham (1846). "Descriptions of some unpublished Species of Plants from North-Western India". Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. 20 (1): 23–91. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1846.tb00410.x.

External links

• Data related to Commelinaceae at Wikispecies