Cyanotis tuberosa

Cyanotis tuberosa (Roxb.) Schult. & Schult.f., Syst. Veg. 7: 1153 1830. (Syn: Cyanotis concanensis Hassk.; Cyanotis sahyadrica Blatt.; Cyanotis stocksii Hassk.; Cyanotis thomsonii Hassk.; Tonningia tuberosa (Roxb.) Kuntze; Tradescantia tuberosa Roxb.);

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sy-an-NOH-tiss — from Greek kyanos (blue) and ous (ear), referring to color and form of petals … Dave’s Botanary
too-ber-OH-suh or tew-ber-OH-suh — tuberous … Dave’s Botanary
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commonly known as: greater cat ears • Marathi: आभाळी abhali
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Endemic to: Western Ghats (of India) 

As per efi thread:

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Commelinales and Zingiberales Week :: Commelinaceae ::Cyanotis tuberosa:
Cyanotis tuberosa (Commelinaceae Family) photographed at Kulang top (Kalsubai Range).
Date/Time: 20-09-2009 / 09:15 AM , 03:20PM

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Commelinales & Zingiberales Week: Greater Cat Ears:
Cyanotis tuberosa (Greater Cat Ears)

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Commelinales and Zingiberales Week: Identifying Cyanotis species:
I have attached 3 pics, identified the first two pics as C.cristata, This plant was one of the first to emerge from the baked soil at the end of Summer, when most of the ground was barren brown. Third picture I am not sure which Cyanotis

to distinguish the species of Cyanotis.. (as  mentioned in the earlier discussions on this group.: cristata, fasciculata, tuberosa, vaga ). this is what I use; please correct if I am wrong.

fasciculata:  leaves  ovately elliptic, few flowered inflorescence, axillary or terminal tuberosa:  leaves, stem with silky hairs, bracts with long hairs, has a crown like structure, but not as distinctive as cristata
cristata: leaves linear or oblong, stem little puberulous, many flowered  cincinni ( scorpiod cyme??)  consequently it looks like a distinctive  crown [c.cristata is supposed to be obviously  “cristate” ( Efora of China/ Pakistan)…. wondering what that refers to}. vaga: ??
It would be nice If  simple keys  for Indian species of Cyanotis or Commelina emerge  during  this weeks  activities.   It would at least  help definitive id of common species at the time of spotting itself.

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– This might be Cyanotis tuberosa
.. If you don’t mind please provide the locality details and according to you this emerged from baked soil that means may be possibility of underground tuberous and Cyanotis cristata is glabrous herb and spathe is also glbrous.
Cyanotis tuberosa Schult. f. Syst. Veg. 7: 1153. 1830; Clarke in: DC., Mon. Phan. 249. 1981; Cooke, Fl. Pres. Bombay 3: 302. 1906; Matthew, Fl. Tamilnadu Carnatic 365, 1981; Matthew & Britto, Fl. Tamilnadu Carnatic 3: 1963. Type: India. Tradescantia tuberosa Roxb., Pl. Cor. T. 108, 1798.
Roseete perennial, erect to ascending herb. Root tuberous, 3-8 cm. Reproductive shoots arise from the base of the rosette. Stem green hirsute Stem green, hirsute; internodes 2 – 9.5 cm. Rosette leaves distichous, green; sheath 1.4- 5.5. cm, hirsute, mouth ciliate, lamina linear- lanceolate, 20  –  39 x 2.5 – 3 cm, margin ciliate, upper surface glabrous lower surface hirsute, apex acute. Cauline leaves distichous, green; sheath 0.7 – 2.5 cm, hirsute, mouth ciliate, lamina linear – lanceolate, 3 – 13 x 1.5 – 2 cm, margins ciliate, upper surface glabrous, lower surface hirsute, apex acute. Cymes terminal or axillary, peduncles 0.5 – 3 cm, hirsute with a band of dense cilia opposite the bract. Bracts foliaceous green or purple, lanceolate – ovate, 1 – 2.5 x 0.3 – 0.  7cm, base chordate, margin ciliate, hirsute, apex acute. Bracteoles green or purple, ovate  to falcate, 0.4 – 1.4 x 0.3 – 0.9 cm, margins ciliate, hirsute exposed areas purple in colour, apex  acute. Sepals 3, pale white, lanceolate, up to 5.25 x 1mm, basally connate, margins ciliate, hirsute. Petals 3, blue violet or purple, 7- 7.5 x 3 – 3.25mm, fused, margins entire, glabrous. Stamens 6, up to 1.1cm long blue, bearded, hairs blue to violet, sub apical bulging; anther lobe yellow. Ovary 1 – 1.4 x 1x 1.1mm, pale green, ovate, hairy, densely ciliate; style violet – blue, sub apical bulging; stigma simple. Capsule 0.35 x 0.2 cm, stramineous with dark brown streaks, ovate, apex ciliate, glabrous elsewhere. Seeds 1.52 x 1.25 – 1.3mm, pyramidal, pale brown –brown or grey or reddish, tests reticulate, shallowly and irregularly pitted; hilum ventral, rounded, embryotega terminal.

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– Thank you very much  for the corrected id  “Cyanotis tuberosa” and detail description..
Forgot to mention, the location is outskirts of bangalore, taken  in end  May  2009

Based on the various efloraindia discussion on Cyanotis species, some typical attributes which one could use for initial identification could be as below. I would appreciate if you could comment on this.

tuberosa : Stem , leaves, bracts hirsute, but  leaf upper lamina glabrous, rossette leaves,  stem leaves linear/lanceolate,  condensed scorpioid cyme
cristata: Stem ,leaves glabrous,   condensed scorpiod cyme (also bracketed with C.cerifolia)
fasciculata : stem leaves puberulous, inflorescence: fasciculate (hence no crown like structure ??)
axillaris: solitary flower; in leaf axils, plant glabrous

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Names of Plants in India :: Cyanotis tuberosa:
Cyanotis tuberosa (Roxb.) Schult. & Schult.f.
[image: Cyanotis tuberosa (Roxb.) Schult. & Schult.f.] <http://www.flickr.com/photos/dinesh_valke/2898395939/>

[image: Flowers of India] <flowersofindia>

[image: Discussions at efloraofindia] <forum/?hl=en#%21searchin/indiantreepix/Cyan…>

[image: more views in flickr] <http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Cyanotistuberosa&m=tags&z=m>

[image: more views on Google Earth] <http://api.flickr.com/services/feeds/geo/…>

commonly known as: greater cat ears <indiannamesofplants/via-names/english/g…>
• Marathi: आभाळी abhali <indiannamesofplants/via-names/marathi/a…>

botanical names: Cyanotis tuberosa (Roxb.) Schult. & Schult.f. …
synonyms: Cyanotis concanensis Hassk. •Cyanotis sahyadrica Blatt. • Cyanotis stocksii Hassk. • Cyanotis thomsonii Hassk. • Tonningia tuberosa (Roxb.) Kuntze • Tradescantia tuberosa Roxb.  – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Photographed at Kas plateau on 28 SEP 08 … more views at
flickr.com/search…

Please validate that this plant is endemic to Western Ghats of Maharashtra alone.

This could be Cyanotis tuberosa owing to the tuberous roots and hairy inflorescence. Check this: /species/a—l/cl/commelinaceae/cyanotis/cyanotis-tuberosa
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wonderful macro…
I want to ask you something…
the first picture … is it out of the camera directly or did you post process it…
at all like trimming , touching up, brightening it, sharpening it etc any thing…

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Kas week : Cyanotis fasciculata SMP:
Cyanotis fasciculata
Commelinaceae

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