204 Species of Genus Commelina

The Dayflower’s Dance: A Closer Look at the Commelina Genus

My name is Ferb Vu, and I’ve always been fascinated by the natural world. The vibrant colors, the intricate patterns, the sheer diversity of life – it all fills me with a sense of wonder. Lately, I’ve found myself drawn to a particular genus of plants: Commelina, more commonly known as dayflowers.

These delicate flowers, with their fleeting blooms and distinctive three-petaled structure, have captured my imagination. They’re like tiny dancers, gracing fields and forests with their ephemeral beauty. But there’s more to these plants than meets the eye. Join me as we delve into the world of Commelina, exploring its unique characteristics, diverse species, and the stories they tell.

The Ephemeral Bloom

Dayflowers earn their name honestly. Each blossom lasts only a single day, opening in the morning and closing by afternoon. It’s a poignant reminder of the transient nature of beauty, a fleeting moment captured in time. This short lifespan is an adaptation to ensure efficient pollination. By focusing their energy on a single day, dayflowers maximize their chances of attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies.

A Diverse Family

The Commelina genus is a vast and varied one, boasting over 200 species scattered across the globe. They thrive in tropical and subtropical regions, adding splashes of color to diverse habitats, from damp woodlands to rocky outcrops. This diversity is reflected in the sheer variety of forms and colors they exhibit.

  1. Commelina acutispatha De Wild.
  2. Commelina acutissima Urb.
  3. Commelina africana L.
  4. Commelina agrostophylla F.Muell.
  5. Commelina albescens Hassk.
  6. Commelina albiflora Faden
  7. Commelina amplexicaulis Hassk.
  8. Commelina andamanica S.M.Joseph & Nampy
  9. Commelina appendiculata C.B.Clarke
  10. Commelina aquatica J.K.Morton
  11. Commelina arenicola Faden
  12. Commelina ascendens J.K.Morton
  13. Commelina aspera G.Don ex Benth.
  14. Commelina attenuata Vahl
  15. Commelina aurantiiflora Faden & Raynsf.
  16. Commelina auriculata Blume
  17. Commelina avenifolia J.Graham
  18. Commelina badamica Nandikar & Gurav
  19. Commelina bambusifolia Matuda
  20. Commelina barbata Lam.
  21. Commelina beccariana Martelli
  22. Commelina bella Oberm.
  23. Commelina benghalensis L.
  24. Commelina bequaertii De Wild.
  25. Commelina bicaeruloflora S.S.Ying
  26. Commelina boissieriana C.B.Clarke
  27. Commelina bracteosa Hassk.
  28. Commelina bravoa Matuda
  29. Commelina calandrinioides (F.Muell.) Zuntini & Frankel
  30. Commelina cameroonensis J.K.Morton
  31. Commelina capitata Benth.
  32. Commelina caroliniana Walter
  33. Commelina catharinensis Hassemer, J.P.R.Ferreira, Funez & J.D.Medeiros
  34. Commelina chamissonis Klotzsch ex C.B.Clarke
  35. Commelina chayaensis Faden
  36. Commelina ciliata Stanley
  37. Commelina clavata C.B.Clarke
  38. Commelina clavatoides Nampy & S.M.Joseph
  39. Commelina communis L.
  40. Commelina congesta C.B.Clarke
  41. Commelina congestipantha López-Ferr., Espejo & Ceja
  42. Commelina corbisieri De Wild.
  43. Commelina corradii Chiov.
  44. Commelina crassicaulis C.B.Clarke
  45. Commelina cufodontii Chiov.
  46. Commelina cyanea R.Br.
  47. Commelina dammeriana K.Schum.
  48. Commelina danxiaensis Q.Fan, Long Y.Wang & W.Guo
  49. Commelina dekindtiana Fritsch
  50. Commelina demissa C.B.Clarke
  51. Commelina dianthifolia Redouté
  52. Commelina dielsii Herter
  53. Commelina diffusa Burm.f.
  54. Commelina disperma Faden
  55. Commelina droogmansiana De Wild.
  56. Commelina eckloniana Kunth
  57. Commelina elliptica Kunth
  58. Commelina ensifolia R.Br.
  59. Commelina erecta L.
  60. Commelina fluviatilis Brenan
  61. Commelina foliacea Chiov.
  62. Commelina forskaolii Vahl
  63. Commelina frutescens Faden
  64. Commelina gambiae C.B.Clarke
  65. Commelina gelatinosa Edgew.
  66. Commelina geniculata Desv.
  67. Commelina giorgii De Wild.
  68. Commelina gourmaensis A.Chev.
  69. Commelina grandis Brenan
  70. Commelina grossa C.B.Clarke
  71. Commelina haitiensis Urb. & Ekman
  72. Commelina heterosperma Blatt. & Hallb.
  73. Commelina hirsuta (Wight) Bedd.
  74. Commelina hispida Ruiz & Pav.
  75. Commelina hockii De Wild.
  76. Commelina holubii C.B.Clarke
  77. Commelina homblei De Wild.
  78. Commelina huillensis Welw. ex C.B.Clarke
  79. Commelina humblotii H.Perrier
  80. Commelina huntii M.Pell.
  81. Commelina imberbis Ehrenb. ex Hassk.
  82. Commelina indehiscens E.Barnes
  83. Commelina irumuensis De Wild.
  84. Commelina jaliscana Matuda
  85. Commelina jamesonii C.B.Clarke
  86. Commelina kapiriensis De Wild.
  87. Commelina kilanga De Wild.
  88. Commelina kisantuensis De Wild.
  89. Commelina kitaleensis Faden
  90. Commelina kituloensis Faden
  91. Commelina kotschyi Hassk.
  92. Commelina lanceolata R.Br.
  93. Commelina latifolia Hochst. ex A.Rich.
  94. Commelina leiocarpa Benth.
  95. Commelina littoralis M.C.Naik & Nandikar
  96. Commelina longicapsa C.B.Clarke
  97. Commelina longicaulis Jacq.
  98. Commelina longifolia Lam.
  99. Commelina loureiroi Kunth
  100. Commelina lukei Faden
  101. Commelina lukonzolwensis De Wild.
  102. Commelina luteiflora De Wild.
  103. Commelina luzonensis Elmer
  104. Commelina macrospatha Gilg & Ledermann ex Mildbr.
  105. Commelina macrosperma J.K.Morton
  106. Commelina maculata Edgew.
  107. Commelina madagascarica C.B.Clarke
  108. Commelina major H.Perrier
  109. Commelina martyrum H.Lév.
  110. Commelina mascarenica C.B.Clarke
  111. Commelina melanorrhiza Faden
  112. Commelina membranacea Robyns
  113. Commelina mensensis Schweinf.
  114. Commelina merkeri K.Schum.
  115. Commelina microspatha K.Schum.
  116. Commelina milne-redheadii Faden
  117. Commelina modesta Oberm.
  118. Commelina montigena H.Perrier
  119. Commelina mwatayamvoana P.A.Duvign. & Dewit
  120. Commelina neurophylla C.B.Clarke
  121. Commelina nigritana Benth.
  122. Commelina nivea López-Ferr., Espejo & Ceja
  123. Commelina nyasensis C.B.Clarke
  124. Commelina obliqua Vahl
  125. Commelina occulta H.D.Juárez
  126. Commelina oligotricha Miq.
  127. Commelina orchidophylla Faden & Layton
  128. Commelina paleata Hassk.
  129. Commelina pallida Willd.
  130. Commelina pallidispatha Faden
  131. Commelina paludosa Blume
  132. Commelina petersii Hassk.
  133. Commelina phaeochaeta Chiov.
  134. Commelina platyphylla Klotzsch ex Seub.
  135. Commelina polhillii Faden & M.H.Alford
  136. Commelina pseudopurpurea Faden
  137. Commelina pseudoscaposa De Wild.
  138. Commelina purpurea C.B.Clarke
  139. Commelina pycnospatha Brenan
  140. Commelina pynaertii De Wild.
  141. Commelina quarrei De Wild.
  142. Commelina queretarensis López-Ferr., Espejo & Ceja
  143. Commelina quitensis Benth.
  144. Commelina ramosissima López-Ferr., Espejo & Ceja
  145. Commelina ramulosa (C.B.Clarke) H.Perrier
  146. Commelina rebmanii León de la Luz
  147. Commelina reflexa Rusby
  148. Commelina reptans Brenan
  149. Commelina reticulata Stanley
  150. Commelina reygaertii De Wild.
  151. Commelina rhodesica Norl.
  152. Commelina robynsii De Wild.
  153. Commelina roensis M.D.Barrett & R.L.Barrett
  154. Commelina rogersii Burtt Davy
  155. Commelina rosulata Faden & Layton
  156. Commelina ruandensis De Wild.
  157. Commelina rufipes Seub.
  158. Commelina rupestris Nandikar & Gurav
  159. Commelina rupicola Font Quer ex Emb. & Maire
  160. Commelina rzedowskii López-Ferr., Espejo & Ceja
  161. Commelina saxatilis H.Perrier
  162. Commelina saxosa De Wild.
  163. Commelina scabra Benth.
  164. Commelina scandens Welw. ex C.B.Clarke
  165. Commelina scaposa C.B.Clarke ex De Wild. & T.Durand
  166. Commelina schinzii C.B.Clarke
  167. Commelina schliebenii Mildbr.
  168. Commelina schweinfurthii C.B.Clarke
  169. Commelina shinsendaensis De Wild.
  170. Commelina sikkimensis C.B.Clarke
  171. Commelina singularis Vell.
  172. Commelina socorrogonzaleziae Espejo & López-Ferr.
  173. Commelina somalensis Chiov.
  174. Commelina spectabilis C.B.Clarke
  175. Commelina sphaerorrhizoma Faden & Layton
  176. Commelina standleyi Steyerm.
  177. Commelina stefaniniana Chiov.
  178. Commelina subcucullata C.B.Clarke
  179. Commelina subscabrifolia De Wild.
  180. Commelina subulata Roth
  181. Commelina suffruticosa Blume
  182. Commelina sulcatisperma Faden
  183. Commelina sylvatica De Wild.
  184. Commelina texcocana Matuda
  185. Commelina trachysperma Chiov.
  186. Commelina transversifolia De Wild.
  187. Commelina triangulispatha Mildbr.
  188. Commelina tricarinata Stanley
  189. Commelina tricolor E.Barnes
  190. Commelina trilobosperma K.Schum.
  191. Commelina tuberosa L.
  192. Commelina umbellata Schumach. & Thonn.
  193. Commelina undulata R.Br.
  194. Commelina ussilensis Schweinf.
  195. Commelina velutina Mildbr.
  196. Commelina vermoesenii De Wild.
  197. Commelina virginica L.
  198. Commelina welwitschii C.B.Clarke
  199. Commelina wightii Raizada
  200. Commelina youngii Nandikar
  201. Commelina zambesica C.B.Clarke
  202. Commelina zenkeri C.B.Clarke
  203. Commelina zeylanica Falkenb.
  204. Commelina zigzag P.A.Duvign. & Dewit

More Than Just a Pretty Face

While their beauty is undeniable, dayflowers are more than just ornamental plants. They play important roles in their ecosystems, serving as food sources for various insects and animals. Their leaves and stems are also used in traditional medicine in some cultures, highlighting their potential therapeutic properties.

A Symbol of Resilience

For me, dayflowers represent resilience and adaptability. Their ability to thrive in diverse environments, their efficient pollination strategies, and their ephemeral yet impactful blooms all speak to their tenacity. They remind me that even in the face of fleeting moments, life finds a way to persist and flourish.

As I continue to explore the world of Commelina, I’m constantly amazed by the intricate beauty and the hidden stories these plants hold. They serve as a reminder that even the smallest and most seemingly insignificant organisms can have a profound impact on our world. So the next time you encounter a dayflower, take a moment to appreciate its ephemeral beauty and the resilience it represents.

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