Commelina

Plant Characteristics

Origin:	✈	?

Cultivation

Exposure:	☼	?"?" is not in the list (sun, part-sun, shade, unknown) of allowed values for the "Exposure" property.
Water:	◍	?"?" is not in the list (wet, moist, moderate, dry, less when dormant) of allowed values for the "Water" property.

Scientific Names

Read about Commelina in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Commelina (bears the name of early Dutch botanists). Also written Commelyna. Commelinaceae. Dat-flower. Perennial or annual herbs, of which a very few are cultivated in the open or under glass for their interesting flowers. Upright, spreading or procumbent, usually more or less succulent, often rooting at the joints: Lvs. alternate, sessile or short-petioled, clasping the st., a lf. subtending the sessile fl.-cluster and forming a clasping folded spathe: fls. opening for a day, mostly blue (varying to white and rose), irregular; outer perianth parts (calyx) 3, colored, 2 of them somewhat united; inner parts (petals) 3, one of them small and 2 broad and with long claws; stamens usually 6, but only 3 of them fertile; filaments not hairy: fr. a 2-3-celled caps, on a recurved pedicel.—Nearly or quite 100 species, in warm regions around the globe, a few of them reaching cool-temperate climates. The cult, species are perennials. The hothouse species appear not to be offered in this country or to be much cult. Allied to Trades- cantia and Zebrina. Commelinas are mostly of easy culture, thriving well in any light rich soil. The evergreen stove and greenhouse species are readily propagated in March or April by cuttings inserted in an ordinary propagating- bed and kept close for a few days, while the tuberous- rooted half-hardy herbaceous species may be propagated either by division of the tubers or by seeds sown in a frame early in April and afterwards transplanting the seedlings in the herbaceous border. In the fall, they should be lifted and the tubers stored away in the same manner as dahlias. Of the tuberous-rooted species, C. caelestis is perhaps the best, its bright blue flowers being very effective, especially when planted in masses. ( Edward J. Canning.) CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Cultivation

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Gallery

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

• w:Commelina. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
• Commelina QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)