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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: 9 taxa. |
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| Species | Content |
| africana L. | Description, Image |
| benghalensis L. | Description, Image |
| diffusa Burm. f. subsp. diffusa | Description, Image |
| diffusa Burm. f. subsp. scandens (Welw. ex C.B.Clarke) Oberm. | |
| eckloniana Kunth | Description, Image |
| erecta L. | |
| fluviatilis Brenan | |
| forskaolii Vahl | Description, Image |
| zambesica C.B.Clarke |
| Home | > | List of families | > | Commelinaceae | > | Commelina |