Commelina is a genus of approximately 170 species[2] commonly called dayflowers due to the short lives of their flowers. They are less often known as widow’s tears. It is by far the largest genus of its family, Commelinaceae.[3] The Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus of the 18th century named the genus after the two Dutch botanists Jan Commelijn and his nephew Caspar, each representing one of the showy petals of Commelina communis.[2]
The dayflowers are herbs that may be either perennial or annual. They are characterised by their zygomorphic flowers and by the involucral bracts called spathes that surround the flower stalks.[4] These spathes are often filled with a mucilaginous liquid. Each spathe houses either one or two scorpioid cymes, with the upper cyme being either vestigial or bearing from one to several typically male flowers, and the lower cyme bearing several flowers. All members of the genus have alternate leaves.[2]
The Asiatic dayflower (Commelina communis) is probably the best known species in the West. It is a common weed in parts of Europe and throughout eastern North America.[2] Several species, such as Commelina benghalensis, are eaten as a leaf vegetable in Southeast Asia and Africa.[5]
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