Commelinaceae is a family of flowering plants. In less formal contexts, the group is referred to as the dayflower family or spiderwort family. It is one of five families in the order Commelinales and by far the largest of these with about 731 known species in 41 genera. Well known genera include Commelina (dayflowers) and Tradescantia (spiderworts). The family is diverse in both the Old World tropics and the New World tropics, with some genera present in both. The variation in morphology, especially that of the flower and inflorescence, is considered to be exceptionally high amongst the angiosperms.
Dichorisandra is a genus of perennial monocotyledonous flowering plants in the dayflower family (Commelinaceae). It is found in the Neotropics. The genus is characterised by its slightly zygomorphic flowers with large anthers usually releasing pollen by means of pores at the apex, as well as by its seeds that are embedded in a red or sometimes white aril, and tubers that often form at the tips of the roots. Both morphology and an analysis of DNA sequences indicate it is very closely related to the genus Siderasis.
Aneilema is a genus of monocotyledonous plants of approximately 60 species. The vast majority of the species are native to sub-Saharan Africa, but a few are found in Oceania and one, Aneilema brasiliense, is from South America. It is the third largest genus in the family Commelinaceae after Commelina and Tradescantia, and it is one of only six genera in the family to occur in both the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere.
Floscopa is a genus of plants in the family Commelinaceae first described in 1790. It is widespread in tropical and subtropical areas: Africa, Madagascar, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, China, Queensland, Central + South America.
Palisota is a genus of plant in family Commelinaceae, first described in 1828. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa.
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.
Tricarpelema is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Commelinaceae consisting of 8 species. The genus is divided into two subgenera, subgenus Tricarpelema, which includes 7 known species found in tropical Asia, and subgenus Keatingia with one species in western Africa. The Asian species are typically found in the forest understory while the single African species has evolved to drier, sunnier conditions and is usually associated with inselbergs.
Commelinoideae is a subfamily of monocotyledonous plants in the dayflower family (Commelinaceae). It is one of two subfamilies within the Commelinaceae and includes 39 genera and all but 12 of the family's several hundred known species. The subfamily is further broken down into two tribes, the Tradescantieae, which includes 26 genera and about 300 species, and the Commelineae, which contains 13 genera and about 350 species.
Geogenanthus poeppigii, commonly called the seersucker plant, is a flowering plant species in the family Commelinaceae. As currently circumscribed, the genus Geogenanthus includes two other species, G. ciliatus and G. rhizanthus. This species is named after 19th century German naturalist Eduard Friedrich Poeppig. Geogenanthus undatus is an outdated synonym for G. poeppigii.
Cartonema is a genus of perennial or annual monocotyledonous flowering plants in the dayflower family. It is restricted to Australia and nearby Trangan Island, which is part of Indonesia. It is the earliest diverging member of its family and has a number of traits that are unique within it, such as non-succulent leaves and a lack of raphides. Its distinctive features led to the genus to once be considered part of its own separate family, Cartonemataceae. However, analysis of DNA sequences, as well as many common anatomical characters, has supported its relationship with the Commelinaceae. It contains about 11 species.
Triceratella is a genus of annual monocotyledonous flowering plants in the dayflower family. The genus consists of a single species, Triceratella drummondii. It is known to occur in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, but has only been collected twice. Because of its rarity, DNA sequences have never been used to determine its relatives, but it is believed to be closely related to the early diverging genus Cartonema, with which it shares a number of characters unique for the dayflower family, such as a yellow flowers, glandular hairs, and a lack of glandular microhairs. It differs from Cartonema, however, in having raphides, which all other members of the Commelinaceae have, although they occur in a unique position next to the leaf veins in Triceratella.
Murdannia is a genus of annual or perennial monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Commelinaceae.
Polyspatha is a genus of perennial monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Commelinaceae. It is restricted to tropical Africa consists of three recognized species.
Coleotrype is a genus of perennial monocotyledonous flowering plants in the dayflower family. It is found in Africa and Madagascar.
Amischotolype is a genus of perennial monocotyledonous flowering plants in the Commelinaceae. It is found in Central Africa and from India through Southeast Asia to New Guinea, with the great majority or species found in Asia.
Commelina welwitschii is an herbaceous plant in the dayflower family found in Southern Africa from Zimbabwe to Angola. A phylogenetic study based on the nuclear ribosomal DNA region 5S NTS and the chloroplast region trnL-trnF, two commonly used gene regions for determining relationships, revealed that Commelina welwitschii forms a clade with Commelina purpurea and Commelina fluviatilis. Both of these relatives are African, share an unusual leaf anatomy, and have linear leaves that are often folded. Although it has yellow flowers, this study did not find a close relationship with Commelina capitata or Commelina africana, the two other African yellow-flowered species. Robert Faden, an expert on the Commelinaceae, points out that Commelina welwitschii is one of only three species in the genus to have bead-like rhizomes along with Commelina crassicaulis and Commelina sphaerorrhizoma. While it is clear that the former species is most likely a close relative given its many other similarities, the latter species is unlikely closely related given major differences in other characters.
Commelineae is a tribe of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the dayflower family (Commelinaceae). The tribe consists of 13 genera and about 350 species. It is one of two tribes in the subfamily Commelinoideae, the other being the Tradescantieae, which is made up of 26 genera and about 300 species. The remaining two genera in the family are in a separate subfamily, the Cartonematoideae.
