Commelina erecta
Family: Commelinaceae
Plant Description: Perennial with sprawling or spreading stems to 60 cm or longer. Leaves alternate. Flowers bilateral, emerging from a folded bract, te edges grown together at the base; petals 3, blue, with 2 larger and one small pale one. Flowers open in early morning and usually wilt by midday.
Plant Trivia: This species fits the classification conundrum of “lumpers” and “splitters.” C. erecta is most common of the Commelina found growing in flower beds due to its tenaceous fleshy roots.
Field Identification: we have 2 subspecies of C. erecta: C. erecta erecta baldes of middle and upper leaves broadly oblong-lanceolate, while C. erecta augustifolia the blades of middle and upper leaves narrowly oblong-laneolate
Occurrence:
Bloom Period: Spring-Fall
Plant Use:
Key to species of Commelina::
- All petals blue………………………………………………………………………………...C. diffusa
Smaller petals white………………………………………………………………………..C. erecta
stxflora 