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, belong to the Commelinaceae family, 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.
- Commelina acutispatha De Wild.
- Commelina acutissima Urb.
- Commelina africana L.
- Commelina agrostophylla F.Muell.
- Commelina albescens Hassk.
- Commelina albiflora Faden
- Commelina amplexicaulis Hassk.
- Commelina andamanica S.M.Joseph & Nampy
- Commelina appendiculata C.B.Clarke
- Commelina aquatica J.K.Morton
- Commelina arenicola Faden
- Commelina ascendens J.K.Morton
- Commelina aspera G.Don ex Benth.
- Commelina attenuata Vahl
- Commelina aurantiiflora Faden & Raynsf.
- Commelina auriculata Blume
- Commelina avenifolia J.Graham
- Commelina badamica Nandikar & Gurav
- Commelina bambusifolia Matuda
- Commelina barbata Lam.
- Commelina beccariana Martelli
- Commelina bella Oberm.
- Commelina benghalensis L.
- Commelina bequaertii De Wild.
- Commelina bicaeruloflora S.S.Ying
- Commelina boissieriana C.B.Clarke
- Commelina bracteosa Hassk.
- Commelina bravoa Matuda
- Commelina calandrinioides (F.Muell.) Zuntini & Frankel
- Commelina cameroonensis J.K.Morton
- Commelina capitata Benth.
- Commelina caroliniana Walter
- Commelina catharinensis Hassemer, J.P.R.Ferreira, Funez & J.D.Medeiros
- Commelina chamissonis Klotzsch ex C.B.Clarke
- Commelina chayaensis Faden
- Commelina ciliata Stanley
- Commelina clavata C.B.Clarke
- Commelina clavatoides Nampy & S.M.Joseph
- Commelina communis L.
- Commelina congesta C.B.Clarke
- Commelina congestipantha López-Ferr., Espejo & Ceja
- Commelina corbisieri De Wild.
- Commelina corradii Chiov.
- Commelina crassicaulis C.B.Clarke
- Commelina cufodontii Chiov.
- Commelina cyanea R.Br.
- Commelina dammeriana K.Schum.
- Commelina danxiaensis Q.Fan, Long Y.Wang & W.Guo
- Commelina dekindtiana Fritsch
- Commelina demissa C.B.Clarke
- Commelina dianthifolia Redouté
- Commelina dielsii Herter
- Commelina diffusa Burm.f. – Plant FAQs: Commelina Diffusa – Dayflower – Trailing Commelina
- Commelina disperma Faden
- Commelina droogmansiana De Wild.
- Commelina eckloniana Kunth
- Commelina elliptica Kunth
- Commelina ensifolia R.Br.
- Commelina erecta L. – Plant FAQs: Commelina Erecta
- Commelina fluviatilis Brenan
- Commelina foliacea Chiov.
- Commelina forskaolii Vahl
- Commelina frutescens Faden
- Commelina gambiae C.B.Clarke
- Commelina gelatinosa Edgew.
- Commelina geniculata Desv.
- Commelina giorgii De Wild.
- Commelina gourmaensis A.Chev.
- Commelina grandis Brenan
- Commelina grossa C.B.Clarke
- Commelina haitiensis Urb. & Ekman
- Commelina heterosperma Blatt. & Hallb.
- Commelina hirsuta (Wight) Bedd.
- Commelina hispida Ruiz & Pav.
- Commelina hockii De Wild.
- Commelina holubii C.B.Clarke
- Commelina homblei De Wild.
- Commelina huillensis Welw. ex C.B.Clarke
- Commelina humblotii H.Perrier
- Commelina huntii M.Pell.
- Commelina imberbis Ehrenb. ex Hassk.
- Commelina indehiscens E.Barnes
- Commelina irumuensis De Wild.
- Commelina jaliscana Matuda
- Commelina jamesonii C.B.Clarke
- Commelina kapiriensis De Wild.
- Commelina kilanga De Wild.
- Commelina kisantuensis De Wild.
- Commelina kitaleensis Faden
- Commelina kituloensis Faden
- Commelina kotschyi Hassk.
- Commelina lanceolata R.Br.
- Commelina latifolia Hochst. ex A.Rich.
- Commelina leiocarpa Benth.
- Commelina littoralis M.C.Naik & Nandikar
- Commelina longicapsa C.B.Clarke
- Commelina longicaulis Jacq.
- Commelina longifolia Lam.
- Commelina loureiroi Kunth
- Commelina lukei Faden
- Commelina lukonzolwensis De Wild.
- Commelina luteiflora De Wild.
- Commelina luzonensis Elmer
- Commelina macrospatha Gilg & Ledermann ex Mildbr.
- Commelina macrosperma J.K.Morton
- Commelina maculata Edgew.
- Commelina madagascarica C.B.Clarke
- Commelina major H.Perrier
- Commelina martyrum H.Lév.
- Commelina mascarenica C.B.Clarke
- Commelina melanorrhiza Faden
- Commelina membranacea Robyns
- Commelina mensensis Schweinf.
- Commelina merkeri K.Schum.
- Commelina microspatha K.Schum.
- Commelina milne-redheadii Faden
- Commelina modesta Oberm.
- Commelina montigena H.Perrier
- Commelina mwatayamvoana P.A.Duvign. & Dewit
- Commelina neurophylla C.B.Clarke
- Commelina nigritana Benth.
- Commelina nivea López-Ferr., Espejo & Ceja
- Commelina nyasensis C.B.Clarke
- Commelina obliqua Vahl
- Commelina occulta H.D.Juárez
- Commelina oligotricha Miq.
- Commelina orchidophylla Faden & Layton
- Commelina paleata Hassk.
- Commelina pallida Willd.
- Commelina pallidispatha Faden
- Commelina paludosa Blume
- Commelina petersii Hassk.
- Commelina phaeochaeta Chiov.
- Commelina platyphylla Klotzsch ex Seub.
- Commelina polhillii Faden & M.H.Alford
- Commelina pseudopurpurea Faden
- Commelina pseudoscaposa De Wild.
- Commelina purpurea C.B.Clarke
- Commelina pycnospatha Brenan
- Commelina pynaertii De Wild.
- Commelina quarrei De Wild.
- Commelina queretarensis López-Ferr., Espejo & Ceja
- Commelina quitensis Benth.
- Commelina ramosissima López-Ferr., Espejo & Ceja
- Commelina ramulosa (C.B.Clarke) H.Perrier
- Commelina rebmanii León de la Luz
- Commelina reflexa Rusby
- Commelina reptans Brenan
- Commelina reticulata Stanley
- Commelina reygaertii De Wild.
- Commelina rhodesica Norl.
- Commelina robynsii De Wild.
- Commelina roensis M.D.Barrett & R.L.Barrett
- Commelina rogersii Burtt Davy
- Commelina rosulata Faden & Layton
- Commelina ruandensis De Wild.
- Commelina rufipes Seub.
- Commelina rupestris Nandikar & Gurav
- Commelina rupicola Font Quer ex Emb. & Maire
- Commelina rzedowskii López-Ferr., Espejo & Ceja
- Commelina saxatilis H.Perrier
- Commelina saxosa De Wild.
- Commelina scabra Benth.
- Commelina scandens Welw. ex C.B.Clarke
- Commelina scaposa C.B.Clarke ex De Wild. & T.Durand
- Commelina schinzii C.B.Clarke
- Commelina schliebenii Mildbr.
- Commelina schweinfurthii C.B.Clarke
- Commelina shinsendaensis De Wild.
- Commelina sikkimensis C.B.Clarke
- Commelina singularis Vell.
- Commelina socorrogonzaleziae Espejo & López-Ferr.
- Commelina somalensis Chiov.
- Commelina spectabilis C.B.Clarke
- Commelina sphaerorrhizoma Faden & Layton
- Commelina standleyi Steyerm.
- Commelina stefaniniana Chiov.
- Commelina subcucullata C.B.Clarke
- Commelina subscabrifolia De Wild.
- Commelina subulata Roth
- Commelina suffruticosa Blume
- Commelina sulcatisperma Faden
- Commelina sylvatica De Wild.
- Commelina texcocana Matuda
- Commelina trachysperma Chiov.
- Commelina transversifolia De Wild.
- Commelina triangulispatha Mildbr.
- Commelina tricarinata Stanley
- Commelina tricolor E.Barnes
- Commelina trilobosperma K.Schum.
- Commelina tuberosa L.
- Commelina umbellata Schumach. & Thonn.
- Commelina undulata R.Br.
- Commelina ussilensis Schweinf.
- Commelina velutina Mildbr.
- Commelina vermoesenii De Wild.
- Commelina virginica L.
- Commelina welwitschii C.B.Clarke
- Commelina wightii Raizada
- Commelina youngii Nandikar
- Commelina zambesica C.B.Clarke
- Commelina zenkeri C.B.Clarke
- Commelina zeylanica Falkenb.
- 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.
