Family COMMELINACEAE
Synonyms: Cartonemataceae APNI*
Description: Perennial, rarely annual, mesophytic herbs.
Leaves alternate, spirally arranged or distichous, with a closed sheath that is often ciliate at the mouth; lamina with parallel veins, often narrowed to a pseudo-petiole.
Inflorescences terminal and/or axillary, thyrses consisting of a central axis bearing several to many lateral monochasial cymes, often variously reduced and partly enclosed by a spathe-like bract. Flowers actinomorphic or zygomorphic, 3-merous, usually bisex ual. Tepals 6, in 2 whorls of 3; outer tepals mostly green and uniform; inner tepals usually free, equal or unequal, white, pink, blue or purple. Stamens 6, in 2 whorls of 3, similar or dissimilar, all fertile or some reduced to staminodes; filaments glabrous or bearded; anthers usually 2-locular, basifixed or dorsifixed, dehiscing by longitudinal slits or rarely apical pores or slits. Ovary superior, 2- or 3-locular; ovules few–many.
Fruit usually a loculicidal capsule; seeds small and hard.
Distribution and occurrence: World: 42 genera, c. 620 species, mainly tropical regions. Australia: 9 genera, c. 25 species, all States.
External links:
Angiosperm Phylogeny Website (Family: Commelinaceae, Order: Commelinales)
Wikipedia Many species are grown horticulturally. Cartonema (6 spp., endemic Aust.) is sometimes separated in its own family, the Cartonemataceae.
Text by Peter G. Wilson
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the genera | |
| 1 | All stamens fertile | 2 |
| Fertile stamens 2 or 3 only; staminodes present | 5 |
| 2 | Leaves less than 10 cm long; inflorescence a small cluster or clusters of flowers; plants with slender prostrate or trailing stems | 4 |
| Leaves mostly 15–30 cm long; inflorescence elongated; erect plants to c. 1 m high
Back to 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Fruit a round fleshy capsule: petals mauve or bright blue | Dichorisandra |
| Fruit a 3-sided, 3-valved capsule; petals white
Back to 2 | Callisia |
| 4 | Flower clusters enclosed by big conspicuous spathe-like bracts; flowers sessile or shortly pedicellate | Tradescantia |
| Flower clusters not enclosed by big spathe-like bracts; flowers long-pedicellate
Back to 2 | Gibasis |
| 5 | Inflorescence enclosed in a spathe-like bract | Commelina |
| Inflorescence not enclosed by a bract
Back to 1 | 6 |
| 6 | Fruit an indehiscent nut, blue | Pollia |
| Fruit a dehiscent capsule, green to brown
Back to 5 | 7 |
| 7 | Inner tepals white; fertile stamens grouped together, filaments not bearded | Aneilema |
| Inner tepals pink to mauve; fertile stamens alternating with staminodes, filaments bearded
Back to 6 | Murdannia |
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