Commelinaceae
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Authority
Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.
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Family
Commelinaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Family Description - Fls hypogynous, commonly perfect, usually entomophilous but without nectaries or nectar, some genera self-pollinated; sep 3, usually herbaceous; pet 3, ephemeral, mostly blue (or pink) or white, distinct and sometimes clawed, or connate below to form a tube, often one differently colored and/or ± reduced; stamens mostly 3 + 3, but sometimes only (1–)3 functional and the others staminodial or suppressed; ovary trilocular (often unilocular above), or one or 2 locules reduced or even suppressed; ovules 1–several in each functional locule; placentation axile; fr commonly a loculicidal capsule, seldom indehiscent; embryo small, capping one end of the abundant, mealy endosperm, with a single ± terminal cotyledon and a lateral plumule; seed-coat with a disk-like or conical opercular swelling (embryostega) over the embryo; herbs with alt lvs, a closed sheath, and well defined (narrow or broad), parallel-veined, commonly somewhat succulent blade; infls often ± cymose and subtended by a folded, spathaceous leafy bract, or the fls sometimes solitary in the axils. 50/700.
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Common Names
The spiderwort family