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Commelina erecta

(Erect Dayflower, Hierba De Pollo, Scrub Dayflower, Slender Dayflower, Whitemouth Dayflower)

Conservation Status

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Population Analysis

  • For the 283,255 species in the Class Liliopsida (Monocotyledons), we average 3.99 observations each in our database; for the Whitemouth Dayflower, we have 291 observations. Compared to other species in this Class, this species is moderately common.
  • A two-sample t-test can be used to determine whether the trend in observations of the Whitemouth Dayflower is the same as the trend in observations of Liliopsida. Is this species just as common, as a proportion of all observations, as it once was? The answer is no, changes in observation rate of this species significantly differ from changes in observation rate of its Class. (t=7.275, p<0.001)
  • How do observation rates of the Whitemouth Dayflower differ from those of Liliopsida? To answer this, we examined the percentage of observerations for Liliopsida that were observations of the Whitemouth Dayflower each year. We then correlated this percentage with observation year. If observations of the Whitemouth Dayflower are becoming more common relative to other species of Liliopsida, the correlation should be positive, but if it is becoming less common, the correlation should be negative. In fact, the correlation is negative (r=-.4), with a negative slope (m = -.002), suggesting that the Whitemouth Dayflower may be in decline relative to other species of Liliopsida. This correlation is statistically significant. (F = 18.52, p<.05)
  • The scatter chart to the right shows the percentage of all observations for Liliopsida each year that were observations of the Whitemouth Dayflower.

Taxonomy

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  • Kingdom: Plantae - Plants
    • Phylum: Tracheophyta - Vascular Plants
      • Class: Liliopsida - Monocotyledons
        • Order: Commelinales
          • Family: Cucujoidea
            • Subfamily: Commelinoideae
              • Tribe: Commelineae
                • Genus: Commelina (kom-uh-LIN-uh) Plumier ex Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 40. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed.; 5:25, 1754. - Dayflower, widow's-tears [for the two Dutch botanists Jan and Kaspar Commelijn, because of the two showy petals]
                  • Specific epithet: erecta L.
                    • Botanical name: Commelina erecta L.

Notes:

Publishing author: Fassett Publication: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 70: 398 1943

Publishing author: E.J.Palmer & Steyerm. Publication: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 22: 497 1935

Basionym author: (Wooton)

Publishing author: H.B. & K. Publication: Nov. Gen. Sp. [H.B.K.] i. 259

Publishing author: Wooton Publication: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 1898, 451.

Publishing author: Small Publication: Fl. S.E. U.S. 242, 1328 1903 [22 Jul 1903]

Publishing author: Small Publication: Fl. S.E. U.S. 242.

Publishing author: Michx. Publication: Fl. Bor.-Amer. (Michaux) i. 24

Name Status: Accepted Name. Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Place of publication: Sp. pl. 1:41. 1753

Name verified on 26-Oct-1995 by ARS Systematic Botanists.

Physical Description

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Genus Commelina:

Herbs, perennial or annual. Roots thin or tuberous. Leaves 2-ranked or spirally arranged, not glaucous; blade sessile or petiolate. Inflorescences terminal, leaf-opposed; cymes 1--2, enclosed in spathes, proximal cyme several-flowered, distal cyme vestigial or with 1--several staminate flowers; spathes often filled with mucilaginous liquid, margins distinct or basally connate; bracteoles usually absent. Flowers bisexual and staminate, bilaterally symmetric; pedicels well developed; sepals distinct or proximal 2 connate, unequal; petals distinct, proximal petal often different color than distal 2, smaller or subequal, distal 2 blue (occasionally lilac, lavender, yellow, peach, apricot, or white), clawed; stamens (5--) 6, proximal 3 fertile, medial different in form, size from others, distal (2--) 3 staminodial; filaments glabrous; antherodes commonly 4--6-lobed; ovary 2--3-locular, ovules 1--2 per locule, 1-seriate. Capsules 2--3-valved, 2--3-locular. Seeds 1--2 per locule; hilum linear; embryotega lateral. x = 11--15.

Species ca. 170: almost worldwide, mainly tropical.[1]

Flowers: Bloom Period: June, September. • Flower Color: medium blue

Images:

Distribution

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Range and Population

Caribbean

Native: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina.

Growth

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Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full Sun.

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b. (map)

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Commelina:

There are approximately 478 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them: C. communis exserta · C. diffusa aquatica · C. acuminata · C. acutispatha · C. acutissima · C. aequinoctiale · C. aequinoctialis · C. aequinoxialis · C. aethiopica · C. africana · C. africana africana · C. africana var. karooica · C. agraria · C. agrostophylla · C. albescens · C. albiflora · C. alpestris · C. ambigua · C. amphibia · C. amplexicaulis · C. ancilema · C. angolensis · C. angustissima · C. appendiculata · C. aquatica · C. arenicola · C. ascendens · C. aspera · C. assurgens · C. attenuata · C. aurantiiflora · C. auriculata · C. avenifolia · C. axillaris · C. baidoensis · C. bainesii · C. bakueana · C. bambusifolia · C. bambusifolioides · C. bangii · C. barbata · C. beccariana · C. bella · C. benghalensis (Benghal Dayflower) · C. benghalensis 'Variegata' · C. benghalensis hirsuta · C. benghalensis L. var. benghalensis · C. benghalensis variegata · C. benghaliensis · C. beniniensis · C. bequaertii · C. bianoensis · C. biflora · C. blumii · C. boehmiana · C. boissieriana · C. bracteolata · C. bracteosa · C. bravoa · C. bulbosa · C. caerulea · C. caespitosa · C. cajannensis · C. cameroonensis · C. canescens · C. cantonensis · C. capitata · C. cardiocephala · C. caripensis · C. caroliniana (Carolina Dayflower) · C. carsoni · C. carsonii · C. cavaleriei · C. cayennensis · C. cecilae · C. chamissonis · C. chinensis · C. ciliata · C. claessensii · C. clandestina · C. clarkeana · C. clavata · C. coelestis (Blue Spider Wort) · C. coelestis 'Sleeping Beauty' · C. coelestis f. albipetala · C. coelestis var. bourgeaui · C. coelestris · C. commelinoides · C. communis (Asiatic Dayflower) · C. communis 'Aureostriata' · C. communis f. alba · C. communis f. aureostriata · C. communis f. ciliata · C. communis L. var. communis L. · C. communis L. var. ludens (Miq.) C.B.Clarke · C. communis var. communis · C. communis var. exserta · C. communis var. ludens · C. condensata · C. congesta

Bibliography

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  • Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45. (L Peru)
  • Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi (1993a): Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru
  • Brashier, C. K. 1966. A revision of Commelina (Plum.) L. in the U.S.A. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 93: 1--19.
  • CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) (Weed CIBA)
  • Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas. (F Tex)
  • Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana. (F Mesoamer)
  • Faden, R. B. 1993b. The misconstrued and rare species of Commelina (Commelinaceae) in the eastern United States. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 80: 208--218.
  • Faden, R. B. 2001. The Commelinaceae of northeast Tropical Africa (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia and Kenya): Diversity and phytogeography. Biol. Skr. 54:230.
  • Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening. (Dict Gard)
  • Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. (Hortus 3)
  • Malezasdemexico. Malezas de México - on-line resource. (Malezas Mex)
  • McVaugh, R. 1983–. Flora Novo-Galiciana. (F NGalicia)
  • Pennell, F. W. 1916. Notes on plants of the southern United StatesâI. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 43: 96--111.
  • Walters, S. M. et al., eds. 1986–. European garden flora. (Eur Gard F)

More Info

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Notes

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Contributors:

  • Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
  • Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2007. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed March 28, 2007.
  • Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed March 29, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 2 providers.
  • The International Plant Names Index. Accessed Jan 19, 2007.
  • USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (May 03, 2008)
  • World Checklist of Selected Plant Families

Data Sources:

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 21, 2007:

Identifiers:

Footnotes:

  1. "Commelina". in Flora of North America Vol. 22. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.

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Last Revised: May 11, 2008