896.000 Commelina L.

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

Caprivi: 21 cultivated taxa.