Commelina neurophylla C.B. Clarke

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Commelina neurophylla

Photo: Bart Wursten
Near Dam 2, Nyika National Park

Commelina neurophylla

Photo: Bart Wursten
Near Dam 2, Nyika National Park

Commelina neurophylla

Photo: Bart Wursten
Near Dam 2, Nyika National Park

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms: Commelina bianoensis De Wild.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Perennial or sometimes annual herb with tufted, ascending to erect shoots 20-50 cm high; roots thin, orange, spreading horizontally. Leaves sessile, sheathing up to 3 cm at the base, mostly green, sometimes purplish or purple striped, linear to lanceolate-oblong, 2-9.5 cm long; margins scabrid, usually ciliate. Spathes usually solitary, sometimes almost clustered, slightly falcate, 1.4-2.7 cm long and 1.1-1.6 cm high; margins fused 8-15 mm, usually 10-15-flowered; peduncles 1-5 cm long, rarely longer. Flowers bisexual and male, 15-22 mm wide; paired petals violet, lavender or yellow-orange to apricot, ovate to kidney-shaped with a violet-purple or reddish claw 4-7 mm long; lower petal minute, ovate, whitish. Capsules bivalved, 5-6.5 mm long, pale yellow to medium brown, sometimes with dark spots, 4-seeded.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat: In grassland or miombo woodland, usually in moist depressions on sandy soils.
Altitude range: 1600 - 2350 m
Flowering time:Feb - Jun
Worldwide distribution: DRC, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Malawi distribution: N(other?)
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated: Friday 12 April 2019
Literature:

Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 294. (Includes a picture).

Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 15.

Faden, R. (2012). Commelinaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa Pages 229 - 230.

Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 86.

Moriarty, A. (1975). Wild Flowers of Malawi Purnell & sons Cape Town. Pages 37 - 38. (Includes a picture).

Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 108.

Other sources of information about Commelina neurophylla:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Commelina neurophylla
Flora of Zambia: Commelina neurophylla
Flora of Zimbabwe: Commelina neurophylla

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Commelina neurophylla
African Plant Database: Commelina neurophylla
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Commelina neurophylla
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Commelina neurophylla
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Commelina neurophylla
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Commelina neurophylla
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Commelina neurophylla
JSTOR Plant Science: Commelina neurophylla
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Commelina neurophylla
Plants of the World Online: Commelina neurophylla
Tropicos: Commelina neurophylla
Wikipedia: Commelina neurophylla


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Malawi: Species information: Commelina neurophylla.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=112680, retrieved 28 March 2024

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