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Benghal dayflower, dayflower, jio, tropical spiderwort

bird-bill dayflower

Habit Herbs, annual. Herbs, perennial, unbranched to usually sparsely branched.
Roots

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

tuberous.

Stems

ascending to decumbent or occasionally scrambling.

erect to ascending.

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 linear to linear-lanceolate, 4–15 × 0.4–1 cm, apex acuminate, glabrous to puberulent.

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 usually 1-flowered, exserted;

spathes solitary, green, often suffused and/or striped with purple, pedunculate, falcate or not, 2.5–8 × 0.7–1.7 cm, margins distinct, scabrous, not ciliate, apex acuminate, glabrous to puberulent;

peduncles 1.5–9.5 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 and staminate;

pedicels puberulent;

petals dark blue, proximal petal somewhat smaller;

staminodes 3;

antherodes yellow, cruciform.

Capsules

3-locular, 2-valved, 4–6 mm.

3-locular, 2-valved, 5–6 mm, apiculate.

Seeds

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

5, brown, 2.2–2.7 × 1.7–2.2 mm, rugose, pitted.

2n

= 22.

Commelina benghalensis

Commelina dianthifolia

Phenology Flowering spring–fall. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Citrus plantations, fields, yards, and other cultivated and disturbed sites Rocky soils
Distribution
from FNA
CA; FL; GA; LA; neotropics; native; paleotropics [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; TX; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

Two varieties have been recognized: Commelina dianthifolia var. dianthifolia (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas), with the spathes gradually tapering into a long, acuminate apex, and C. dianthifolia var. longispatha (Torrey) Brashier (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico), with the spathes abruptly narrowed below the middle into a long, attentuate tip (C. K. Brashier 1966). Although most U.S. specimens are readily separable into these taxa, their ranges and ecologies overlap very broadly in Arizona and New Mexico. Until their variation in Mexico is studied, I can see no useful purpose in maintaining these varieties.

(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. caroliniana, C. communis, C. diffusa, C. erecta, C. forskaolii, C. gambiae, C. virginica
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 41. (1753) Delile: in P. J. Redoute, Les Liliacees...a Paris 7(65): plate 390. (1812)
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