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Home , Amischotolype, Cyanotis, Cyanotis axillaris, Cyanotis cristata, Cyanotis tuberosa, Murdannia spirata

Vol.25, No.4, 2019 EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter: Eastern Ghats Printed Matter Royle EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter ISSN No: 0974-2336 Key to 1. Seeds single per locule……………………………..…………….……...... M. vaginata Telangana 1. Seeds more than one per locule………………………….……….……………..…………...... 2 2. Seeds uniseriate in a locule ………………………………..…………………..….…...…...... 3 2. Seeds biseriate in a locule……………………………………..……………………………...... 4 The Eastern Ghats 3. Seeds with large midventral pit ………………...…………………….……...... M. dimorpha E P T R I - E N V I S N e w s l e t t e r 3. Seeds without midventral pit…………………………….………………….…..…………...... 5 ENVIS CENTRE ON ECOLOGY OF EASTERN GHATS 4. perennial; flowers without striations on petals ………………………..…...... M. esculenta 4. Plant annual; flowers with or without striated petals …………………….………….……...... 6 The ENVIS Centre on Eastern Ghats is a decentralized Environmental Information Facility established by the Ministry of 5. Testa foveolate–reticulate, or verrucose, or acellate ………………………..…...... M. spirata Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India at EPTRI, Hyderabad with a focused theme on the Ecology of Eastern Ghats 5. Testa alveolate to colliculate, or reticulate………………………………….……………...... 7 6. Leaves linear, filiform; seeds 2–8 per locule……………………..……….…...... M. semiteres Volume-25 Issue-4 October - December, 2019 6. Leaves lanceolate; seeds 18–20 per locule………………………….………...... M. nudiflora 7. annuals; leaves rosette …………………………………………….…...... M. nimmoniana 7. Plants perennials; leaves not in a rosette………………………...……..……..…...... M. edulis

Murdannia nimmoniana Murdannia nudiflora (L.) Murdannia spirata (L.) (J. Graham) S.M.Almeida G.Bruckn. G.Bruckn.

REFERENCES: Faden, R.B. (2012). . In Henk Beentje (Eds.) Flora of Tropical Naik, M.C. and Rao, B.P. (2017). A new Species of dewflower Murdannia East Africa. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. sanjappae (Commelinaceae) from Andaman Islands, India. Jott- 9 (11) 10909- Faden, R. B. (2000). Commelinaceae. In: Dassanayake MD & WD Clayton (Eds) 10913. Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon 14: 116–196. Oxford and IBH Nandikar M.D. and Naik, M.C. (2019). Commelina littoralis (Commelinaceae), a Publishing, New Delhi. new species from India. Nordic J. Botany. doi: 10.1111/njb.02168. 1-7. Faden, R. B. (1998). Commelinaceae. In: K. Kubitzki (Ed.) The Families and Nandikar, M. D. and Gurav, R. V. (2018). A new species of Commelina Genera of Vascularplants 4:109–128. Springer Verlag, Berlin. (Commelinaceae) from India. – Webbia 73: 233–237. Faden R. B. (1991). The morphology and of Aneilema R. Brown Nandikar, M. D. and Gurav, R. V. (2015). Commelina badamica (Commelinaceae), a (Commelinaceae). Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 76. Washington, new species from India. – Telopea 18: 513–518. D.C., 181 pp. Nandikar, M.D. and R.V., Gurav, (2014). A Revision of the Genus D. Don FSI. (2019). Andhra Pradesh state forest reports. Forest resources in states. Andhra (Commelinaceae) in India. Taiwania 59(4): 292-314. Pradesh, India. Pullaiah, T. and S. Karuppusamy, (2008). Flora of Andhra Pradesh (India). Vol. 5. Govaerts, R. & Faden, R.B. (2014). WorldChecklist of Commelinaceae. Scientific Publishers, Jodhpur. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; Pullaiah, T. and M. Chennaih, (1997). Flora of Andhra Pradesh (India). Vol. 3. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/. observations. 6:1–6. Scientific Publishers, Jodhpur. Hooker, J.D. (1894). The Flora of British India 374–383ReeveandCo.,London. Raju, R.R.V. and T. Pullaiah, (1997). Flora of Kurnool. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Linnaeus, C. (1753). Species Plantarum. Holmiae, Impensis Laurentii Salvii, pp. Singh, Dehra Dun. 1-36. Reddy, C. S., K.N. Reddy and V.S. Raju, (2008). Supplements to flora of Andhra Nampy, S. et al. (2013). The genus Commelina (Commelinaceae) in Andaman and Pradesh. Deep Publications. Nicobar Islands, India with one new species and three new records. – (2018). Version 1. Published on the Internet. (Accessed 2nd January, Phytotaxa 87: 19–29. 2017). http://www.theplantlist.org/ From

ENVIS Coordinator To Printed Matter Asst. EPTRI .

ENVIS Centre on Ecology of Eastern Ghats Sr Sri...... , Environment Protection Training and Research ...... ENVIS CENTRE ON ECOLOGY OF EASTERN GHATS Institute (EPTRI) ...... 91/4, Gachibowli, Hyderabad-500 032, India...... ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION TRAINING & RESEARCH INSTITUTE Ph : +91-040-23180103, 23180115, 23180100

...... Md. Khader Fax No.:+40-23180135, 91/4, Gachibowli, Hyderabad-500 032, India...... Ph: +91-40-67567520, 67567511 Fax: +91-40-67567535 Website: http://eptrienvis.nic.in Pin:...... Email: [email protected] URL: http://eptrienvis.nic.in

Design by: Email : [email protected] 7 EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter: Eastern Ghats Vol.25, No.4, 2019 EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter: Eastern Ghats Vol.25, No.4, 2019 CYANOTIS D. Don. Editorial Contents Page No. Key to species This issue deals with family “Commelinaceae from 2 “Commelinaceae from Eastern Ghats of 1. enclosed within the leaf sheaths; capsules with a trifid beak………………...... C. axillaris Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India”. The issue Andhra Pradesh, India”. talks about 7 genera (, Commelina, 1. Inflorescences not enclosed within the leaf sheaths; capsule not beaked…………….………………...... 2 Cyanotis, Floscopa, Murdannia, Pollia and 2. Plant glabrous, rarely pubescent; bracts glabrous, much longer than the ...…...... C. cristata Rhopalephora) and 39 species in the enumeration. It 2. Plant variously pubescent or glabrous; bracts variously pubescent, much shorter than the inflorescence …...... ….....3 also gives brief description about genera and species 3. Leaves 1.2 cm or less than 1.5 cm wide ………………..……….….………………...……………...... 4 lanceolate, ca. 7 mm long, 2-veined, cohering with dorsal 3. Leaves 1 cm or less than 1 cm wide…………………………………….…....……….……………...... 5 present in family Commelinaceae. The issue also talks sepal, falcate; lower lobe shorter than the upper lobe, linear, about key species to 7 genera such as Amischotolype, ca. 3 mm long, 1-veined. Lip sessile, scabrid-pilose, ca. 1.7 4. Plants annual, rosette absent………………….………………………………...…………….……...... 6 Commelina, Cyanotis, Floscopa, Murdannia Pollia cm long, 3-lobed above the middle; lateral lobes linear, 5-6 4. Plants perennial; rosette present………………………………………………………...... 7 and Rhopalephora with their key. mm long, obtuse; midlobe linear-lanceolate, 6-7 mm long, 5. Leaves 1.2 cm or less than 1.5 cm wide ………………..………….….…………………...... C. villosa obtuse; spur as long as or shorter than the ovary. Pollinia oblong-ovoid. Ovary sessile, ca. 2.5 cm long. Stigmatic 5. Leaves 1 cm or less than 1 cm wide……………………………….…....……….…………………...... 8 Habenaria barbata Wight ex Hook. f. (Orchidaceae): A lobes 2, incurred, oblong-linear, ca. 3 mm long. Fruits 6. Stem and leaves densely covered with cobwebby hairs; cincinni 6 to many flowered, stamina filaments bearded with New Addition to the Flora of Telangana from Amrabad fusiform, 1.5-3 cm long. Tiger Reserve two coloured moniliform hairs………………………………...... C. fasciculata 1* 2 1 Flowering and Fruiting: August-December. J. Swamy , S. S. Yashvardhan and L. Rasingam Habitat: Occasional in under shady habitats and open 6. Stem and leaves glabrous; cincinni 2–4 flowered; staminal filament bearded with one coloured moniliform hairs grasslands of dry deciduous forests. ……………………………………………………………………...... C. cucullata Distribution: Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, 7. Leaves linear to lanceolate; leaf sheaths ciliate at margins, leaves hirsute, apex acute, base pointed or rounded Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and now from Telangana. ……………………………………………………………………………...... C. arcotensis Specimens examined: India, Telangana, Amrabad Tiger Reserve, 16.27027778°N, 78.70611111°E, 796 m.s.l, 7. Leaves ovate to elliptic to linear to lanceolate, leaf sheaths with a line of hairs along the fused edges, base cuneate to 19.10.2019, J. Swamy & S. S. Yashvardhan 4352 (BSID). rounded.…...... C. burmanniana 8. Plants with cormous base…………….…………………………………...………….….………...... 9 8. Plants without cormous base……………………………………………...……………...... C. tuberosa 9. Rosette leaves oblong to elliptic.………………………….…….…………….…...... C. arachnoidea 9. Rosette leaves linear to linear–lanceolate……………………...…. ..………………………...... C. vaga ENVIS Team 1.Cyanotis arachnoidea C.B.Clarke Dr. M. Suneela, ENVIS Coordinator 2. (L.) D.Don ex Sweet Dr. K. Jyothi, Program Officer 3. (L.) D.Don Dr. D. Veeranjaneyulu, Information Officer 6 4.Cyanotis cucullata (Roth) Kunth Mr. V. Narayana Rao, IT Officer 1 5.Cyanotis fasciculata (B.Heyne ex Roth) Mr. Mahammad Shareef, DEO Schult. & Schult. f. 6. (Roxb.) Schult. & Schult. f. 2 Published by 5 Habenaria barbata Wight ex Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 6: 133. EPTRI, Hyderabad 1890. Supported by Terrestrial tuberous herb, 20-55 cm high. Tubers ovoid or oblong, 1.5-3 cm in diameter. Stem erect, terete. Leaves 4-6, Ministry of Environment, Forest and cauline, arranged in the lower one third portion of stem, Climate Change, Government of India narrowly lanceolate, 2-6 x 0.8-2 cm, acuminate at apex. Raceme terminal, 8-14 cm long, laxly many-flowered. New Delhi, India. Floral bracts foliaceous, 1.5-3.5 x 0.5-0.8 cm, broadly ovate- 3 lanceolate, acuminate, longer than the ovary. Flowers greenish-yellow, ca.2 cm across. Sepals unequal, acuminate, green, glabrous; dorsal sepal broadly ovate, ca. 1.3 x 0.6 cm; Review: Dr. P. Venu, 4 Emeritus Scientist lateral sepals oblong-lanceolate, ca. 1 x 0.6 cm. Petals bipartite above the middle, margins hairy; upper lobe linear- 1 6 EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter: Eastern Ghats Vol.25, No.4, 2019 EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter: Eastern Ghats Vol.25, No.4, 2019

COMMELINACEAEYogi Vemana FROM University EASTERN Botanical GHA GardenTS OF ANDHRA (YVUBG) PRADESH,MISSION: INDIA 6. Capsule single seeded, dorsal locule aborted or empty……...... C. badamica 1 2 3 6. Capsule 2–5 seeded, ……………...……………………….…………….……...……………...... 7 Promote ex - situMudavath conservation Chennakesavulu of the threatened Naik, B. plant Swetha resources & D.V eeranjaneyuluof the Eastern Ghats region 7. Dorsal locule single seeded or empty and indehiscent …………...……………………..…...……...... 8 1Botanicalof Survey India ofthrough India, Andaman research and and Nicobar education. Regional Centre, 7. Dorsal locule 1–2 seeded and dehiscent……………...…….………..………….…………………...... 12 2Freelance Scientist, Hyderabad 8. Ventral locules two seeded …………………………………………….....……………….……...... …9 3Special Grade Scientist, ENVIS-EPTRI, Hyderabad 8. Ventral locule single seeded…………………...…...………..………………………...... C. suffruticosa 9. Seeds reticulate………………………………..…...………………..……………...……...... C. diffusa Abstract: The article deals with family Commelinaceae from Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India. it has dealt 7 genera 9. Seeds not reticulate………………………………………………...…………….…...…………...... 10 (Amischotolype, Commelina, Cyanotis, Floscopa, Murdannia, Pollia and Rhopalephora) and 39 species in the enumeration. 10. Seeds smooth, appendaged at a side or blunt……………………………………...…...... C. longifolia 10. Seeds variously reticulate, not appendaged………………...………………….………...………...... 13 Introduction: 11. Seed faintly alveolate…………………………………………………...……..…...... …C. caroliniana Andhra Pradesh contains extensive forested landscape across its two main physiographic regions; the mainly hilly northern 11. Seed strongly ribbed ………………………………………….……….……...... C. subulata Rayalaseema dryer central plateau and the fertile Coastal Andhra region. In each area forests exist in both contiguous blocks and 12. Spathes sessile or pedunculate; if pedunculate, peduncle >0.7 cm long …….………………..…...... 16 12. Spathes pedunclulate, peduncle <0.7 cm long……………………………...…………………...... …15 also within domesticated mosaic landscapes adjacent to agriculture, pasture and other land uses. Andhra Pradesh contains two 13. Sheaths lacking rusty hairs; dorsal locule always lacking or empty…...... C. ensifolia main contiguous forest belts. AP forests are classified into six main type of which 'Tropical Dry Deciduous' comprises 90% and 13. Sheaths puberulous, mouth ciliate; dorsal locule scabrid, single seeded…………….……………...... 17 10% tree canopy (FSI 2019). 14. Sheaths green to reddish brown, mouth densely ciliate with brown hairs………………...... C. maculata The genus Amischotolype Hassk. is paleotropic and comprises c. 26 species distributed mainly in South, East and Southeast 14. Sheath, green, puberulous, mouth ciliate but not with brown hairs……………………...... C. undulata 15. Seeds reticulate………………………….…….………………………...….……...... C. benghalensis Asia (excluding Sri Lanka) of which four species are strictly found in tropical Africa. In India, the genus is represented by three 15. Seeds smooth…..…..……………………………….……………..….………………...... C. paludosa species. Hooker (1894) in his treatment of Flora of British India reported five species, viz., Forrestia mollis Hassk. (= 16. Root tuberous .……...... …………………..……...... C. coelestis Amischotolype mollissima (Blume) Hassk.), F. griffithii Clarke (= A. griffithii (C.B. Clarke) I.M. Turner), F. marginata Hassk. 16. Root fibrous………………………………………………………….……………...... C. forsskalii (=A. marginata (Blume) Hassk.), F. hookeri Hassk. (= A. hookeri (Hassk.) H. Hara) and F. glabrata Hassk. (= A. glabrata Hassk.), of which the first three are known to occur in Java and Malaysia, and are excluded from the present treatment. The genus Commelina L. (Linnaeus 1753) is one of the largest genera in the family Commelinaceae, represented by c. 170 species 1. Commelina badamica (Faden 2012). The genus is pantropical but has mostly diversified in Tropical Africa comprising 120 species, with a wide range of Nandikar & Gurav. variation in habit, inflorescence, flower colour, capsule dehiscence, seed number and coat texture, and chromosome number 2. Commelina benghalensis L. (Faden 2012). In India, the genus is represented by 25 species (Nampy et al. 2013) of which Commelina alisagarensis Kumar & 3. Commelina clavata Deodikar, C. hirsuta (Wight) Bedd., and C. tricolor E. Barnes are apparently endemic. Recently, five new species C. clavatoides C.B.Clarke Nampy & S.M. Joseph and C. andamanica S.M. Joseph & Nampy (Nampy et al. 2013), C. badamica Gurav & Nandikar, C. rupestris Nandikar & Gurav, C. littoralis M.C. Naik & Nandikar (M.C. Naik & Nandikar 2019) have been added to the Indian 6 4. Commelina diffusa flora. In Andhra Pradesh the genus is represented by 17 species. 5 Burm.f. The genus Cyanotis comprises 58 species worldwide with diverse distribution in Asia and Africa (Faden, 2012). Cyanotis is 5. Commelina forsskalli represented by 16 species from India. However, this number was limited to 13 through annotations made by Nandikar & Gurav 1 Vahl (2014) in their revisionary work on Cyanotis in India. Raju and Pullaiah (1997) has reported 9 species of Cyanotis from erstwhile 6. Commelina subulata Andhra Pradesh i.e., Cyanotis arachnoidea, C. arcotensis, C. axillaris, C. cristata, C. fasiculata, C. tuberosa. C. burmaniana, C. Roth vaga and C. villosa. After our studies in Andhra Pradesh the genus represented by ten species presented. 7. Commelina undulata The genus Floscopa Lour. is pantropical genus with c 20 species, mainly in Africa; one species in Asia ranging to Australia. R.Br. Species are aquatic or semi-aquatic. The very long hairs on sepals in almost all the species are very conspicuous. The compound 2 inflorescence often includes uppermost leaves (Faden, 2000). In Andhra Pradesh the genus is represented by one species. The 7 Genus Murdannia is one of the largest genera of the family Commelinaceae with 55 species worldwide (Govaerts & Faden, 2014). Most of the species are found in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa. Karthikeyan enumerated 23 species for India. Nadikar and Gurav (2015) reported 27 species in their revisionary work on the genus including the newly evolved species. After one novel taxa described from Andaman Islands (M.C. Naik & Rao, 2017). In Andhra Pradesh Raju and Pullaiah (1997) 4 reported eight species of genus Murdannia from erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. As part of rapid assessment of floristic survey of Andhra Pradesh during the autumn season of 2018-20, we could locate the species in rocky crevices and moist localities in Andhra's. Perusal of relevant literature (Pullaiah & Chennaih, 1997; Pullaiah & Karuppusamy, 2008; Reddy et al., 2008, Nandikar & Gurav, 2014). The genus Rhopalephora Hasskarl, is pantropical genus with c 4 species, especially speciose in Africa 3 (Faden, 1998). Morphologically, the two can only be distinguished by a polythetic assemblage of characters, and not by one or more discrete ones. It seems not be separable on anatomical characters (Faden, 1991). In India and Andhra Pradesh, the genus represented by only one species.

5 2 EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter: Eastern Ghats Vol.25, No.4, 2019 EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter: Eastern Ghats Vol.25, No.4, 2019

Perennial, sometimes annual. Roots often fusiform thickened. Rhizomes present or absent. Stems creeping or ascending, sometimes scapiform. Leaves alternate and linear, or in a basal rosette on infertile main stems; cincinni solitary or numerous, forming panicles, sometimes shortened into heads, sometimes reduced to solitary flowers. Flowers actinomorphic; sepals free, shallowly to strongly boat-shaped; petals free, purple, blue, pink, yellow, or nearly white, orbicular or obovate; fertile 3, sometimes 1(or 2) abortive; filaments glabrous or hairy; anther locules longitudinally dehiscent; staminodes 0-4, inserted opposite petals; antherodes sagittate or 3-sect; ovary 3-loculed; ovules to 7 per locule. Capsule 3-valved, ovoid, ellipsoid, or globose. Seeds 1 or 2 per valve, uniseriate, quadrangular, reticulate, pitted, rugose, or verrucose; hilum orbicular. Pollia Thund. Perennial. Rhizomes horizontal, long. Stems erect or ascending, usually simple. Leaves alternate. Panicles terminal; cincinni with several flowers, proximal involucral bracts nearly leaflike, distal ones small; bracts enveloping inflorescence axis, membranous. Inflorescence actinomorphic; sepals free, shallowly boat-shaped, often enlarging and persistent in fruit; petals free, white, blue, purple, or greenish yellow, sometimes spotted, ovate-elliptic, ovate-orbicular, or obovate, sometimes clawed; stamens 6, all fertile, equal or 3 smaller, or only anterior 3 fertile; filaments glabrous; anther locules oblong, longitudinally dehiscent; antherodes deltoid-lanceolate or sagittate; ovary 3-loculed; ovules to 10 per locule. Capsule baccate, globose, 3- valved, indehiscent. Seeds to 8 per valve, purplish gray, polygonal, slightly flattened; hilum orbicular. Rhopalephora Hassk. Amischotolype Hassk. Herbs perennial. Rhizomes absent. Stems creeping proximally, ascending distally. Leaves distichous or spirally arranged. Stems erect distally, procumbent proximally, to 3 × 0.1 m. Leaf sheaths overlapping in distal part of stem, densely brownish Inflorescence corymbiform, umbel-like, of several to numerous elongate cincinni aggregated into inflorescence at apex of main yellow hirsute; leaf blade elliptic, to 30 × 10 cm, adaxially sparsely hispid or glabrous, abaxially yellow hirsute along veins or stems and branches. Flowers zygomorphic; sepals free, boat-shaped; petals free, white to lilac, upper 2 shortly clawed; fertile throughout, base cuneate, apex caudate-acuminate. Heads with up to 10 flowers, to 3 x 3 cm in fruit; sepals ovate-oblong, to 6 × 4 stamens 3, posterior, antepetalous smaller than antesepalous 2; filaments glabrous; staminodes 3, or antesepalous one mm, subglabrous; petals pale purple-red. Capsule ovoid, trigonous, to 15 × 5 mm, much longer than persistent sepals, sparsely absent; antherodes 2-lobed; ovary 1-3-loculed; ovules 1 or 2 per locule. Capsule subglobose, 1-3-valved; upper valve 1-seeded, brown-hirsutulous, conical-tapered at apex. Seeds to 4 × 2.5 mm, rugose. indehiscent, sometimes deciduous; lower valves (when developed) 0-20-seeded, dehiscent. Seeds rugose; hilum linear. Commelina L. Key to Genera Annual or perennial. Rhizomes absent. Stems creeping, ascending, or erect. Leaves alternate. cincinni subtended by and included 1. Inflorescence penetrating leaf sheath, capitate; fertile stamens 6………….…...... Amischotolype in spathelike involucral bracts; involucral bracts open or proximal margins coherent and becoming funnelform, often forming 1. Inflorescence neither penetrating leaf sheath, nor capitate; fertile stamens fewer…….……...... 2 heads; cincinni dichotomously branched, flowers in 1 branch smaller, infertile, falling early, those in other branch fertile; bracts 2. Fruits baccate, indehiscent; inflorescence terminal……………………………………...... Pollia not falcate curved, usually extremely small or absent. Flowers zygomorphic; sepals lanceolate or ovate-orbicular, sometimes 2. Fruits capsular; inflorescence terminal or not…………………………………….………...... 3 shallowly boat-shaped, inner 2 often connate at base; petals free, blue, spatulate or orbicular, inner 2 larger and clawed; fertile 3. Inflorescence terminal, broomlike; numerous small flowers; capsule small, 2-valved… …...... ………….…Floscopa stamens 3, on 1 side, 2 inserted opposite sepals, 1 opposite petal; filaments glabrous; staminodes 3; antherodes 4-lobed, butterfly- 3. Inflorescence other type, not broomlike; flowers few; capsule 3-valved…………………...... 4 like; ovary 2- or 3-loculed, posterior locule with 1 developed or abortive ovule or empty, anterior 2 locules each with 1 or 2 ovules. 4. Involucral bracts spathelike, inflorescence enveloped in leaf sheath; fertile stamens-6…...... …6 Capsule oblong, globose, or ellipsoid, 3- or most frequently 2-valved; posterior valve 1-seeded or seedless, often indehiscent; 4. Involucral bracts present or absent, spreading or sheathlike, never spathelike……………...... 5 anterior 2 valves each seedless or 1- or 2-seeded. Seeds cylindric or ellipsoid, reticulate or subsmooth; hilum linear. 5. Staminodes apically entire and sagittate, fertile stamens 3, all inserted opposite sepals…...... Murdannia Cyanotis D.Don 5. Staminodes apically dumbbell-shaped; fertile stamens 2-3, inserted in posterior or anterior position…Rhopalephora Annual or perennial, erect or creeping. Rhizomes absent. Leaves alternate. Cincinni sessile, subtended by spathelike involucral 6. Petals connate, tubular, with 2 ends free; bracts falcate curved………………….…...... Cyanotis bracts; bracts imbricate, 2-seriate, falcate-curved. Flowers actinomorphic; sepals free or connate only at base; petals connate and 6. Petals free; bracts not imbricately arranged in 2 rows…………………………...... Commelina tubular in middle, free at both ends, purple, blue, or white, linear-lanceolate; stamens 6, all fertile, equal; filaments lanate, rarely glabrous; anther locules longitudinally dehiscent; ovary 3-loculed; ovules 2 per locule. Capsule 3-valved, obovoid or broadly COMMELINA L. oblong, trigonous. Seeds 1 or 2 per valve, cylindric or quadrangular, reticulate or pitted; hilum at adjoining end of 2 seeds. Key to species Floscopa Lour. 1. Spathes with margins free to the base…………………………..……...... ………..….……………...... 2 Perennial. Rhizomes long. Leaves alternate. Inflorescences solitary or several, terminal or axillary in axils of apical leaves, each a 1. Spathes with margins fused at base……...…………………………………..….………...... ………....18 broomlike panicle of numerous cincinni; bracts often small. Flowers actinomorphic; sepals free, shallowly to strongly boat- 2. Capsule bilocular …….………………………..…………………………...….….………………...... 3 shaped, leathery, persistent; petals free, blue or purple, sometimes white, obovate, clawed; fertile stamens 3 or 6, equal; filaments 2. Capsule trilocular …………...…………………………………..………………………….……...... 6 3. Capsule single seeded and indehiscent …………..…...…...…………….………………...... C. imberbis glabrous; anther locules connate, slightly divergent proximally, ellipsoid, longitudinally dehiscent; ovary 2-loculed; ovules 1 per 3. Capsule more than one seeded, dehiscent or indehiscent …………...…………………….………...... 4 locule. Capsule 2-valved, slightly flattened, 1-grooved on each side. Seeds 1 per valve, hemispheric, reticulate or striate; hilum 4. Dorsal locule well developed and 2 seeded…………….....………………………..………...... C. erecta linear. 4. Dorsal locule not developed or empty……………………………………...………….…………...... 5 5. Seeds appendaged at both ends…………………....…….…….……………………...... C. attenuata Murdannia Royle 5. Seeds not appendaged…………...……...…………………..……………....……………...... C. clavata

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