Knowra Commelinaceae Commelinaceae Commelinaceae is a family of monocot flowering plants that includes dayflowers, spiderworts, and related genera. Many have jointed stems, sheathing leaves, and flowers with three petals.
Monocotyledon : A flowering plant whose seed embryo typically has one cotyledon, with other common anatomical and developmental traits. Commelinaceae belongs to this major flowering-plant lineage.
Commelina : A genus of flowering plants commonly called dayflowers, with flowers that often last for only part of a day. Dayflowers are among the best-known members of Commelinaceae.
Zygomorphy : Bilateral symmetry in which a structure can be divided into matching halves along one plane. Some commelinaceous flowers have bilateral rather than radial symmetry.
Tradescantia zebrina : A trailing tropical plant grown for its striped leaves, also known by the common name wandering dude. It is a widely grown ornamental example from the family.
Zingiberales : An order of tropical monocot plants that includes gingers, bananas, and heliconias. It is a neighboring monocot order, distinct from the order containing Commelinaceae.
Angiosperm : A plant that produces seeds enclosed within an ovary, which typically develops into a fruit. The family sits within the flowering plants, whose seeds develop inside fruits.
Tradescantia : A genus of flowering plants that includes spiderworts and many cultivated ornamental species. Spiderworts and familiar houseplants make this a prominent family genus.
Pollination syndrome : A set of floral traits associated with pollination by particular kinds of animals or other agents. Variation in floral form reflects different pollination relationships across the family.
Tradescantia spathacea : A tropical plant with rosettes of sword-shaped leaves, often grown as an ornamental. Its distinctive foliage has made it a common landscape and houseplant.
Poales : An order of monocot flowering plants that includes grasses, sedges, and bromeliads. Commelinaceae belongs to Poales, alongside several familiar plant families.
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