Commelina benghalensis

Commelina benghalensis L., Sp. Pl. 41 1753. (Syn: Commelina canescens Vahl; Commelina cavaleriei H.Lév.; Commelina cucullata L.; Commelina delicatula Schltdl.; Commelina hirsuta R.Br.; Commelina mollis Jacq.; Commelina nervosa Burm.f.; Commelina poligama Fern.-Vill.; Commelina procurrens Schltdl.; Commelina prostrata Regel; Commelina radiciflora R.Br. ex C.B.Clarke; Commelina rhizocarpa Afzel. ex C.B.Clarke; Commelina senegalensis Ten.; Commelina turbinata Vahl; Commelina uncata C.B.Clarke; Commelina villosiuscula Sol. ex C.B.Clarke);

kom-uh-LEE-nuh — named for Dutch botanists: Johan and his nephew Caspar Commelin … Dave’s Botanary
ben-gal-EN-sis — of or from Bengal (India); sometimes spelled bengalensis … Dave’s Botanary
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commonly known as: Bengal dayflower, fire leaf, tropical spiderwort, wandering Jew • Assamese: কনাশিমলু konaximolu • Bengali: ঢোলপাতা dholapata • Gujarati: મોટું શીશમૂળિયું motun shishmuliyun • Hindi: जल भू jal-bhu, कनकउआ kanakaua, केना kena, कृष्ण घास krishna ghas • Kannada: ಗುಬ್ಬಚ್ಚಿ ಬಾಳೆ gubbachchi bale, ಗುಬ್ಬಚ್ಚಿ ಬಸಳೆ gubbachchi basale, ಕನ್ನೆ ಸೊಪ್ಪು kanne soppu • Konkani: कंचट kamchat • Malayalam: കാനവാഴ kanavazhai, വാഴപ്പടത്തി vuzhaipadathi • Manipuri: ৱাঙদেন খোইবী wangden khoibi • Marathi: कंचट kanchat, केना kena • Nepali: काने घाँस kaane ghaans • Odia: କଞ୍ଚଡ଼ କାଙ୍କୁ kanchara kanku • Sanskrit: कञ्चट kanchata • Tamil: கானாங்கோழை kan-an-kolai, கனவாழை kanavalai • Telugu: అమృత కాడ amruta kaada, నీరు కసువు neerukaassuvu, వెన్నదేవి కూర venna devikura, వెన్నవెదురు venna veduru, యాండ్రఆకు yanadra aaku • Tulu: ಕನ್ನೆಚಪ್ಪು kannechappu

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Commelinales & Zingiberales Week: Commelinaceae, Commelina benghalensis from Delhi:
Commelinales & Zingiberales Week: Commelinaceae,

Commelina benghalensis L.,  Sp. pl. 1:41. 1753, nom. cons.
A common rainy season plant in Delhi, with luxuriant growth in shaded areas, along roadsides and wastelands.
Common names
English: Benghal dayflower, Indian dayflower
Sans: Kanchata
Hindi & Beng: Kanchara
Mar: Kena
Tam: Kanavazhai, kanangakarai
Tel: Vennadevikura
Rhizomes are  cooked and eaten, leaves also eaten at the time of scarcity. Herb is also medicinal

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– some lovely capture of the Bengal Dayflower

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Commelinales & Zingiberales Week:Another Commelina for id from Panipat Distt-10022011-3:
One more Commelina sp for id
Collected from Refinery Road panipat

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Both are same sir! This is called var. typica which is automatically established whenever a new species is described.
    Like Mangifera indica var. indica will automatically be established with the description of M. indica.
Hope I am able to convey my message to you.

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But then why ‘The Plant List’ doesn’t give any syn. for Commelina benghalensis L., while giving so many for Commelina benghalensis var. benghalensis. Also why both are given as accepted names & not only Commelina
benghalensis L. as accepted name?

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This appears to be one of the several slips in Kew Plant List. I have often been telling my students: “A species will either have no infraspecific taxon (subspecies, variety, forma), or it will have a minimum of two”. If there is
no other variety within (at least I could not find) C. benghalensis, then there is no sense in writing C. benghalensis var. benghalensis. There is no need to write even var. typica, if no other variant exists.
It is like this. Supposing there is a type a (herbarium specimen) on the basis of an author names and describes a particular species, say Commelina benghalensis in this case, all specimens identified with this species (say a1, a2, a3, a4, etc) will get this name. Now supposing an author (same or some one else) discovers a specimen (say type b) which he thinks belongs to the same species but differs in certain characters from type a, and gives it a name say Commenlina benghalensis var. gargii, it will automatically establish the type variety (type a) which will be named as var. bengalensis (with no author citation, because it is automatically created; earlier authors used to call it var. typica).
Perhaps we will have to find if there is any other variety ever described within C. benghalensis, to automatically establish var. benghalensis. If there is none var. benghalensis is redundant.

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I dug out some more information. One variety C. benghalensis var. hirsuta (Wight) Clarke was recognised by C. B. Clarke in 1881 (based on Heterocarpus hirsutus of Wight) and subsequently named Commelina hirsuta (Wight) clarke in FBI in 1892. Later is considered as illegitimate name (as the name has been used for other species) and considered as synonym of Commelina coelestis Willd. That leaves only one type within C. benghalensis, and again no justification for var. benghalensis.
Coincidently C. benghalensis subsp. hirsuta (Clarke) Morton has also been published, and although not listed in Kew List meets the same fate due to common basionym.

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ID requested of DSC01280:
Picture taken in Asansol (West Bengal) dt. 28/05/2011, 8:53 AM. I’ve seen this species from my childhood. Sort of a creeper. Very common in open grassland. I like the flowers though.

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efloraofindia:”For Id 26092011MR3’’ Wandering Jew Pune:
Request for validation
Is this Commelina ensifolia blue flowers *(Scurvy grass, Wandering Jew) of *Commelinaceae family
Marathi name if possible?

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Commelina bengalensis common name kankauwa family Commelinaceae

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Commelina for ID : Nasik : 260612 : AK-2:
A wild weed growing in monsoon in Nasik on 15/9/11. Commelina species. Please id.

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I think it is Commelina benghalensis

Yes it is Commelina benghalensis 

ARJUL04 Commelina sp. for ID 1 : 4 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (3).
Could this be Commelina maculata?
July 6th

Commelina bengalensis I think

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… is right, this could be Commelina benghalensis.

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Commelina Species For ID : Nasik : 27AUG15 : AK-53 : 53/53 : 3 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (1)
Another plant seen in Nasik.
Picture taken on 23/8/2012.

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sk2015sept03/03 – Commelina benghalensis L. : 1 post by 1 author. Attachments (8)

These photographs were recorded last week (8.9.15).

My earlier record seems to have been correctly identified by …- efi thread

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sk2015sept04/04 – Commelina benghalensis L. (lilac colour) : 1 post by 1 author. Attachments (8)
Not all community grows blue flower. These two communities are growing lilac flowers, photographed the day before yesterday (6.9.15).

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This plate shows fruits of this species. I wanted to see the seeds also, but inside was filled with white fluid which felt as smooth as baby-powder when dry!
Attachments (1)

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Good observations, yes it is Commelina benghalensis

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Please identify GhagriSP001 : 5 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (1)

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This seems to be a Commelina sp.

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Yes, …  Pl. Check comparative images at efloraofindia site.

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Most likely to be Commelina benghalensis L. as per images herein. 

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Gujarati name of Commelina benghalensis : 2 posts by 1 author.

It is known as મોટું શીશમૂળિયું in Gujarati

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Names of Plants in India :: Commelina benghalensis L. : 2 posts by 2 authors. 1 image.

via Species‎ > ‎C‎ > Commelina benghalensis L. … family: Commelinaceae

   
kom-uh-LEE-nuh — named for Dutch botanists: Johan and his nephew Caspar Commelin … Dave’s Botanary
ben-gal-EN-sis — of or from Bengal (India); sometimes spelled bengalensis … Dave’s Botanary 
commonly known as: Bengal dayflower, fire leaf, tropical spiderwort, wandering Jew • Assamese: কনাশিমলু konaximolu • Bengali: ঢোলপাতা dholapata • Gujarati: મોટું શીશમૂળિયું motun shishmuliyun • Hindi: जल भू jal-bhu, कनकउआ kanakaua, केना kena, कृष्ण घास krishna ghas • Kannada: ಗುಬ್ಬಚ್ಚಿ ಬಾಳೆ gubbachchi bale, ಗುಬ್ಬಚ್ಚಿ ಬಸಳೆ gubbachchi basale, ಕನ್ನೆ ಸೊಪ್ಪು kanne soppu • Konkani: कंचट kamchat • Malayalam: കാനവാഴ kanavazhai, വാഴപ്പടത്തി vuzhaipadathi • Manipuri: ৱাঙদেন খোইবী wangden khoibi • Marathi: कंचट kanchat, केना kena • Nepali: काने घाँस kaane ghaans • Sanskrit: कञ्चट kanchata • Tamil: கானாங்கோழை kan-an-kolai, கனவாழை kanavalai • Telugu: అమృత కాడ amruta kaada, నీరు కసువు neerukaassuvu, వెన్నదేవి కూర venna devikura, వెన్నవెదురు venna veduru, యాండ్రఆకు yanadra aaku • Tulu: ಕನ್ನೆಚಪ್ಪು kannechappu 
botanical names: Commelina benghalensis L. … synonyms: Commelina canescens Vahl • Commelina cucullata L. • Commelina hirsuta R.Br. … status at The Plants List(2013). Version 1.1. 
September 23, 2007 … Pirojshanagar, Mumbai 

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Commelina benghalensis L. ?? : 5 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (3)

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Commelina benghalensis 

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Yes, Commelina benghalensis.

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Request for ID 6 : 4 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (1)
Place: Bombay Shola, Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu

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Got them IDed as Commelina benghalensis from another source.

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Commelina benghalensis for validation, mm3 10 11 2018 : 6 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (3)

To me also appear close to images at Commelina benghalensis L. 

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Yes, it is Commelina benghalensis!!

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Commelina benghalensis L. ?? : 6 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (3)

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Yes, Commelina benghalensis.

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Request For ID Bilikere 06 :  6 posts by 5 authors. Attachments (1) – 906 kb.

I think difficult to id Commelina‎ species with such images.

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Leaf s/o C. benghalensis

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5 Identity weed plant Commelina Forsskalii : 7 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (1)-991 kb.

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Pl. post habit image.

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It’s Commelina benghalensis to me!

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Yes. Commelina benghalensis as already identified by …

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Commelina benghalensis: 3 high res. image.
Habit: Shrub

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Habit: Herb
Location: Rajouri jandk
Date: 15-06-2019

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Commelina benghalensis L.: 2 very high res. images.

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I’d requested for this herb??: 2 images.
Location: Rajouri, jandk
Date: 14-08-2022

It seems commelina bengalensis

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Commelinaceae: Commelina benghalensis L.: 1 high res. image.

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References:  
The Plant List 1  The Plant List 2  GRIN  Flora of China  Flora of Pakistan Annonated checklist of the flowering plants of Nepal  Dinesh Valke’s Flickr Post   Flowers of India  PIER species info  ENVIS – FRLHT  Wikipedia  Wikimedia Commons  Nppo