Author Archives: Native Plants

കാനവാഴ

Commelina benghalensis, commonly known as the Bengal dayflower or tropical spiderwort, is a fast-growing and invasive herbaceous plant. It belongs to the family Commelinaceae and is widely distributed across tropical and subtropical regions of the world. This species is known for its resilience, rapid spreading ability, and distinctive blue flowers.

Scientific classification

• Kingdom : plantae
• Clade : Monocots
• Order : commelinales
• Family : Commelinaceae
• Genus : commelina
• Species : C.benghalensis

Morphology

1. Habit:

A spreading, prostrate, or ascending herbaceous plant with a creeping or trailing growth habit.

It can root at nodes and spread vigorously, especially in moist conditions.


2. Roots:

Fibrous root system with adventitious roots emerging from the nodes.


3. Stem:

Succulent, branched, and trailing or ascending.

Nodes are swollen and capable of producing roots.


4. Leaves:

Simple, alternate, and ovate to lanceolate in shape.

The base is often sheathed, enclosing the stem.

Leaf margins are entire, and the surface is hairy or glabrous.


5. Inflorescence:

Cymose inflorescence, enclosed by a boat-shaped, folded bract (spathe).

The spathe is green and often hairy.


6. Flowers:

Zygomorphic and bisexual with three petals:

Two large, blue petals (posterior)

One small, inconspicuous white petal (anterior)


Six stamens:

Three are fertile with prominent anthers.

Three are sterile (staminodes) with small or non-functional anthers.


The ovary is superior, three-celled, with a single style.


7. Fruit:

Capsule, dehiscent, containing 2-5 seeds.

Each seed is wrinkled or ridged.


8. Seed:

Small, brownish, rough-textured, and capable of prolonged dormancy.

Can propagate both sexually (by seeds) and asexually (by stem fragments and rooting nodes).


9. Special Features:

Can produce subterranean cleistogamous (self-pollinating) flowers, which directly produce seeds underground.

Considered a problematic weed in many agricultural regions due to its rapid spreading ability.

Habitat

This plant thrives in tropical and subtropical climates,Agricultural fields

Roadsides and waste areas

Lawns and gardens

Moist and disturbed soils

Range

Native to:
Andaman Is., Angola, Assam, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, East Himalaya, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Free State, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., Hainan, India, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jawa, Kazan-retto, Kenya, Korea, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malaya, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nansei-shoto, Nepal, Nicobar Is., Niger, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Ogasawara-shoto, Pakistan, Philippines, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Socotra, Somalia, South China Sea, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Vietnam, West Himalaya, Yemen, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Introduced into:
Alabama, Bolivia, Brazil Northeast, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, California, Canary Is., Chagos Archipelago, Christmas I., Cuba, Egypt, Florida, French Guiana, Georgia, Hawaii, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Louisiana, Madeira, New South Wales, North Carolina, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Queensland, Samoa, Tonga, Transcaucasus, Vanuatu, Windward Is.

Images

Scientific name : commelina sp