OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Commelinales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Commelina diffusa   FAMILY Commelinaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Commelina diffusa var. diffusa   FAMILY Commelinaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America

Commelina diffusa var. diffusa

INCLUDED WITHIN Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)

Commelina diffusa

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 038-01-004:

Commelina diffusa   FAMILY Commelinaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Commelina longicaulis

 

COMMON NAME:
Spreading Dayflower, Creeping Dayflower


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Commelina diffusa, Spreading Dayflower, Creeping Dayflower

Jeff Ausmus    jma_comdif6

April    Osceola County    FL

Stem decumbent or repent, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Commelina diffusa, Spreading Dayflower, Creeping Dayflower

Jeff Ausmus    jma_comdif5

July    Monroe County    MI

In cultivation

image of Commelina diffusa, Spreading Dayflower, Creeping Dayflower

Gill Newberry    gn08_c_diffusa_fl_closeup

August        

Two large upper petals and a very small blue lower petal, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).

image of Commelina diffusa, Spreading Dayflower, Creeping Dayflower

Gill Newberry    gn08_c_diffusa_fls

August        

image of Commelina diffusa, Spreading Dayflower, Creeping Dayflower

Gill Newberry    gn08_c_diffusa_inf

August        

Spathes are sickle-shaped (falcate) and their margins are not fused, per Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005).

image of Commelina diffusa, Spreading Dayflower, Creeping Dayflower

Jeff Ausmus    jma_comdif

September    Monroe County    MI

In cultivation

image of Commelina diffusa, Spreading Dayflower, Creeping Dayflower

Jeff Ausmus    jma_comdif2

September    Monroe County    MI

In cultivation

Leaf blades 1.5-5cm long × 0.5-1cm wide (rarely to 8 × 2.2cm), per Weakley's Flora (2020).

image of Commelina diffusa, Spreading Dayflower, Creeping Dayflower

Jeff Ausmus    jma_comdif4

October    Monroe County    MI

In cultivation

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Commelina diffusa   FAMILY Commelinaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Commelina diffusa var. diffusa   FAMILY Commelinaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Commelina diffusa var. diffusa

INCLUDED WITHIN Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)
Commelina diffusa

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 038-01-004:
Commelina diffusa   FAMILY Commelinaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Commelina longicaulis

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

357

Forb
Annual

Habitat: Mudflats, alluvial margins, bottomlands, also fields and disturbed ground, per Weakley's Flora

Native? Non-native? encountered very early inland, so plausible as native or early introduction

Common (rare in Mountains)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate

FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Blue
Bilaterally symmetrical
3-merous
3 sepals, the lateral two partly united
3 petals, the upper two large and the lowest smaller
3 fertile stamens, 3 sterile stamens
Superior ovary
Bisexual

FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Capsule

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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