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Benghal dayflower, dayflower, jio, tropical spiderwort

Carolina dayflower

Habit Herbs, annual. Herbs, annual, diffusely spreading.
Roots

thin, rhizomes short, subterranean, bearing cleistogamous flowers produced from base of plant.

at nodes.

Stems

ascending to decumbent or occasionally scrambling.

decumbent to scandent.

Leaves

leaf sheaths, not auriculate, often with red hairs at summit;

blade ovate to lanceolate-elliptic, (1–)2–9(–11) × 1–3(–4.5) cm, apex rounded, obtuse or acute, pubescent.

blade lanceolate to lanceolate-elliptic or lanceolate-oblong, 2.5–10.5 × 0.7–2.4 cm, margins scabrous, apex acute to acuminate, glabrous.

Inflorescences

distal cyme often exserted and 1-flowered, sometimes vestigial;

spathes often clustered, subsessile (peduncles 1–3.5 mm), funnelform, 0.5–1.5(–2) cm, margins connate basally, pubescent.

distal cyme vestigial, included (rarely 1-flowered and exserted);

spathes solitary, bright green, paler basally, without contrasting veins, pedunculate, not at all to slightly falcate, 1.2–3(–3.7) × 0.5–1 cm, margins distinct, usually ciliate, apex acuminate, glabrous or very sparsely pilose;

peduncles 0.6–2.3 cm.

Flowers

chasmogamous flowers bisexual and staminate, subterranean cleistogamous flowers bisexual;

petals of staminate flowers all blue (rarely lilac), proximal smaller;

lateral stamen filaments not winged;

staminodes 2–3;

antherodes yellow, cruciform;

pollen white;

medial stamen pollen yellow.

bisexual;

petals all blue, proximal petal white medially, smaller;

medial stamen with white connective;

staminodes 3;

antherodes yellow, often with central maroon spot, cruciform.

Capsules

3-locular, 2-valved, 4–6 mm.

3-locular, 2-valved, (5–)6–8 mm.

Seeds

5, brown or blackish, seeds of adaxial locule 1.7–2.5 mm, shallowly reticulate, farinose.

5, dark brown, 2.4–4.3(–4.6) × (1.6–)2–2.3 mm, smooth to faintly alveolate, mealy.

2n

= 22.

= ca. 86.

Commelina benghalensis

Commelina caroliniana

Phenology Flowering spring–fall. Flowering summer–fall (rarely winter).
Habitat Citrus plantations, fields, yards, and other cultivated and disturbed sites Fields, roadsides, railroad rights-of-way, yards, waste places, especially in moist situations, weed in crops, especially rice, sugar cane and corn, and rarely in forests
Distribution
from FNA
CA; FL; GA; LA; neotropics; native; paleotropics [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; SC; TX; native; India [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Commelina benghalensis was first recognized and collected in California in 1980. The California plants are approximately hexaploid and represent a separate and much later introduction than the southeastern plants. The species is federally listed as an Obnoxious Weed.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 22. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Commelinaceae > Commelina Commelinaceae > Commelina
Sibling taxa
C. caroliniana, C. communis, C. dianthifolia, C. diffusa, C. erecta, C. forskaolii, C. gambiae, C. virginica
C. benghalensis, C. communis, C. dianthifolia, C. diffusa, C. erecta, C. forskaolii, C. gambiae, C. virginica
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 41. (1753) Walter: Flora Caroliniana, secundum. 68. (1788)
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