Commelina erecta

Commelina erecta, commonly known as the white mouth dayflower, slender dayflower, or widow's tears, is a perennial herb native throughout the Americas, Africa and western Asia. It is considered to be the most variable species of Commelina in North America.

Commelina erecta
Commelina erecta in an Israeli garden

Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Commelinales
Family: Commelinaceae
Genus: Commelina
Species:
C. erecta
Binomial name
Commelina erecta
L., Sp. Pl. 1: 41. 1753.
Synonyms[2]
  • Commelina elegans Kunth[3]
  • Commelina pohliana Seub.
  • Commelina sulcata Willd.
  • Commelina virginica auct. non L.
  • Commelina virginica L. var. australis C.B.Clarke

Distribution and habitat

Commelina erecta is native to much of the world, including the Americas, Africa and western Asia. In the Americas it is present in the United States, the West Indies, every country of Central America and south through the tropics into Argentina. In the United States it can be found from New York and Nebraska in the north, south to Florida and Texas.[4] In the West Indies it is present throughout Puerto Rico and on several of the Virgin Islands such as Saint Croix, Saint Thomas, Saint John, George Dog Island, Anegada, Great Camanoe, Guana Island, Tortola and Water Island.[5] The native Slender dayflower is located occasionally in the western half Illinois, Northeast, and Southern Illinois. It is usually in dry sand prairies, woodlands, or anywhere drier than normal. (illinoiswildflowers.info)

In tropical Africa the plant is also widespread. In west Africa it is present in Senegal, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, Nigeria, and Bioko.[6]

In Nigeria, the plant is known as Ewe Apolukuluku and Itopere.

In the West Indies it is common in disturbed sites as well as in dry to moist woods from sea level up to 1300 meters.[5]

References
  1. "Commelina erecta". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  2. De Egea, J.; Pena-Chocarro, M.; Espada, C.; Knapp, S. (2012). "Checklist of vascular plants of the Department of Ñeembucú, Paraguay". PhytoKeys. 9 (9): 15–179. doi:10.3897/phytokeys.9.2279. PMC 3281576. PMID 22371688.
  3. Kunth Nov. Gen. Sp. (quarto ed.) 1: 259–260 1815 [1816]
  4. Faden, Robert (2006), "Commelina erecta", in Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+ (ed.), Flora of North America online, 22, New York & Oxford: Oxford University Press, retrieved 2007-12-12
  5. Acevedo-Rodriguez, Pedro; Strong, Mark T. (2005), "Monocotyledons and Gymnosperms of Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands", Contributions of the United States National Herbarium, 52: 158
  6. Brenan, J.P.M. (1968), "Commelinaceae", in Hutchinson, J.; Dalziel, J.M. (ed.), Flora of West Tropical Africa, 3, pp. 49–50

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