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.