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Key to families | Table of families and genera

This text currently parallels The Jepson Manual: Vascular Plants of California, Second Edition that is now available at the University of California Press.

Text appearing in blue on this page will not appear in the printed book; it will be displayed only on the Web. Specimen numbers are hyperlinked to records in the Consortium of California Herbaria data view where possible. Taxa are hyperlinked to entries in the Jepson Interchange via the "[Online Interchange]" link.

 

COMMELINACEAE SPIDERWORT FAMILY

Robert E. Preston & Elizabeth McClintock


Annual, perennial herb, generally glabrous.
Stem: prostrate to erect or climbing; nodes often rooting.
Leaf: alternate, entire, simple, linear to ovate, closed basal sheath or lower leaf clasping stem.
Inflorescence: cyme, umbel-like or not, terminal or terminal and axillary, subtended by 1–2 bracts [not].
Flower: generally bisexual, bilateral or radial, generally insect-pollinated; sepals 3, generally green; petals 3, blue, white, rose, purple, or pale violet, generally ephemeral; stamens 6 (3 sterile or not), filaments generally slender, often hairy; ovary superior, chambers 3, style 1.
Fruit: generally capsule.
Seed: 1–few per chamber.
40 genera, ± 630 species: especially tropics, subtrop; some cultivated as ornamental. [Faden 2000 FNANM 22:170–197] —Scientific Editor: Thomas J. Rosatti.

Key to Commelinaceae

1. Petals unequal; fertile stamens 3, sterile stamens 3 ..... COMMELINA

1' Petals equal; fertile stamens 6 ..... TRADESCANTIA

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].
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