Family name: Commelinaceae Mirbel
Synonym(s): Cartonemataceae Pichon, nom. cons.; Tradescantiaceae Salisb.
Common name(s): spiderwort family
*Number of genera/species: 41/731
List of genera records in GRIN-Global
fruit or seed
Fruit dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
, loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
, rarely berryberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.
or berry-like capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
(Pollia), sometimes winged, 1.5–15 mm long, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to trigonoustrigonous:
3D shape—having three faces that meet at distinct angles; triangular in outline
, angledangled:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles
in transectiontransection:
a cross section; representing a plane made by cutting across an organ at a right angle to its length
, sometimes beakedbeaked:
a usually firm, terminal appendage, sometimes tapered
, few to many seeded. Perianthperianth:
collective term for calyx and corolla of a flower
may be persistent. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
brown, gray, black, white, sometimes blue, shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles
or dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
, crustaceouscrustaceous:
texture—thin, dry, indurate, and brittle
, leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
, membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
, glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
or pubescentpubescent:
surface relief—bearing hairs
, smooth, spinyspiny:
having slender, stiff, sharp projections oriented in the general plane of the structure
, wartywarty:
surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose
, reticulatereticulate:
surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces
, or wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
. Pollia berriesberries:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.
are hard and crustaceouscrustaceous:
texture—thin, dry, indurate, and brittle
, usually metallic blue. Similarly, a few species of Commelina have hard, crustaceouscrustaceous:
texture—thin, dry, indurate, and brittle
, colorful capsulescapsules:
a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
.
Seed compressedcompressed:
flattened; in grasses, used to denote compression (not necessarily flattened) either laterally or dorsiventrally
, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to reniformreniform:
2D or 3D shape—kidney-shaped
, 0.5–6 mm long, sometimes winged (Aetheoliron). A true arilaril:
(broad sense) appendicular structure that wholly or partly envelops a seed and is produced from or a modification of the funicle, raphe, or outer integument; usually fleshy or pulpy, sometimes spongy or tufted-capillate, often brightly colored
present in Amishotolype, Dishorisandra, and Porandra only, often red, fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
, and adnate to the seed coat. ArilsArils:
(broad sense) appendicular structure that wholly or partly envelops a seed and is produced from or a modification of the funicle, raphe, or outer integument; usually fleshy or pulpy, sometimes spongy or tufted-capillate, often brightly colored
absent in all other genera. Operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
or a dorsaldorsal:
abaxial; the back of an organ; the side away from the axis (compare ventral)
, laterallateral:
(of embryo) embryo lies along the side of the seed, generally towards one end; of, at, or from the side; in grasses, can refer to the sides adjacent to the dorsal and ventral sides
, or terminal, cap-like callosity is present and surrounded by micropylar collarmicropylar collar:
collar shaped tissue at micropyle
, except in Cartonema. Hilumhilum:
on seeds, the scar indicating where the funiculus was attached; on grass caryopses, the scar visible on the outer caryopsis surface revealing where the seed is attached on the inner fruit wall surface; or in Asteraceae cypselae, the scar visible on the pericarp revealing where the fruit was attached to the receptacle
present, punctatepunctate:
surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted
or larger and irregular, orbicularorbicular:
2D shape—circular in outline, 3D shape—globose
, or linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide
in shape. Hilumhilum:
on seeds, the scar indicating where the funiculus was attached; on grass caryopses, the scar visible on the outer caryopsis surface revealing where the seed is attached on the inner fruit wall surface; or in Asteraceae cypselae, the scar visible on the pericarp revealing where the fruit was attached to the receptacle
may be dorsaldorsal:
abaxial; the back of an organ; the side away from the axis (compare ventral)
, laterallateral:
(of embryo) embryo lies along the side of the seed, generally towards one end; of, at, or from the side; in grasses, can refer to the sides adjacent to the dorsal and ventral sides
, semi-lateral, or terminal. Seed coat black, gray, blue, brown, yellow, dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
, bonybony:
very hard and rather brittle, like bone
, membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
or mealymealy:
loose, dry, and disintegrating in finely granular
pieces like meal or flour
in texture, always sculptured, and sometimes pubescentpubescent:
surface relief—bearing hairs
.
Embryo usually small but well developed, except Cartonema (embryo minute), basalbasal:
at or pertaining to the point of attachment; (of embryo) embryo occupies one end of the seed
, capitatecapitate:
head-shaped; abruptly enlarged on one end to a relatively short, terminal portion
to dumbbell shaped, straight. Endospermendosperm:
nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds
copious, mealy.
Fruit | |
Type | loculicidal loculicidal: type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal) capsulecapsule: a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels , rarely berryberry: an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa. or berry-like capsule |
Size range | 1.5–15 mm long |
Shape(s) | globose, cylindricalcylindrical: 3D shape—a cylinder, with parallel sides and a circular cross-section; tubular or rod-shaped , oblongoblong: 2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded , ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , trigonous |
Texture | crustaceous, leatheryleathery: texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable , membranous |
Surface relief | smooth or spinyspiny: having slender, stiff, sharp projections oriented in the general plane of the structure , wartywarty: surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose , reticulatereticulate: surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces , wrinkled |
Color(s) | brown, gray, black, white, blue |
Seed | |
Size range | 0.5–6 mm long |
Shape(s) | hemispherical, globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , squaresquare: 2D shape—geometric figure bounded by 4 straight sides of equal length and 4 90º-angles , cylindricalcylindrical: 3D shape—a cylinder, with parallel sides and a circular cross-section; tubular or rod-shaped , polygonalpolygonal: =angular , reniform |
Surface relief | reticulate, ribbedribbed: surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface , wrinkledwrinkled: surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out , sculptured, alveolatealveolate: surface relief—reticulated, honeycombed; ridges that intersect to form polygonal cells with a regular size and shape similar to a honeycomb , pittedpitted: surface relief—surface with small depressions in which the areas between the hollows do not take on the appearance of a true reticular net , groovedgrooved: surface relief—linear depressions that may be single or form a series of grooves over the surface , striatestriate: surface relief—having fine, parallel lines, grooves or ridges , wartywarty: surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose , pittedpitted: surface relief—surface with small depressions in which the areas between the hollows do not take on the appearance of a true reticular net , punctatepunctate: surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted , granular |
Color(s) | black, gray, blue, brown, yellow |
Other | |
Embryo | usually small but well developed, except Cartonema (miniature embryo), basalbasal: at or pertaining to the point of attachment; (of embryo) embryo occupies one end of the seed , capitatecapitate: head-shaped; abruptly enlarged on one end to a relatively short, terminal portion to dumbbell shaped, straight |
Nutritive tissuenutritive tissue: tissue within the seeds that nourishes the developing embryo; such as endosperm, perisperm, or chalazosperm in angiosperms; megagametophyte in gymnosperms |
endosperm endosperm: nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds copious and mealy |
Pantropical, some temperate regions of Asia, Australia, and North America.
Distribution map courtesy of Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.
Baskin and Baskin 2021Baskin and Baskin 2021:
Baskin C and Baskin J. 2021. Relationship of the lateral embryo (in grasses) to other monocot embryos: A status up-grade. Seed Science Research 31 (3): 199-210. doi:10.1017/S0960258521000209; Dahlgren et al. 1985Dahlgren et al. 1985:
Dahlgren RMT, Clifford HT, and Yeo PF. 1985. The families of the monocotyledons: structure, evolution, and taxonomy. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. 520 pp.; Davidse et al. 2009–2018Davidse et al. 2009–2018:
Davidse GM, Sousa Sánchez M, Knapp S. and Chiang Cabrera F, eds. 2009–2018. Flora Mesoamericana. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO. Accessed: January–April 2024. URL: http://legacy.tropicos.org/Project/FM; Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1993+Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1993+:
Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico [Online]. 22+ vols. Flora of North America Association, New York and Oxford. Accessed January-March 2024. URL: http://beta.floranorthamerica.org.; Kirkbride et al. 2006Kirkbride et al. 2006:
Kirkbride JH, Jr, Gunn CR, and Dallwitz MJ. 2006. Family guide for fruits and seeds, vers. 1.0. Accessed September 2020-January 2022. URL: https://nt.ars-grin.gov/seedsfruits/keys/frsdfam/index.cfm .; Kubitzki et al. 1990+Kubitzki et al. 1990+:
Kubitzki K et al., eds. 1990+. The families and genera of vascular plants. 7+ vols. Berlin etc.; Obermeyer and Faden 1985Obermeyer and Faden 1985:
Obermeyer AA and Faden RB. 1985. Commelinaceae. In: Leistner OA, ed. Flora of Southern Africa. Vol 4. Botanical Research Institute, Department of Agriculture and Water Supply, Pretoria.; Stevenson and Loconte 1995Stevenson and Loconte 1995:
Stevenson DW and Loconte H. 1995. A cladistic analysis of monocot families. In: Rudall PJ, Cribb PJ, Cutler DF, and Humphries CJ, eds. Monocotyledons: Systematics and Evolution. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.; Thiele and Adams 2014Thiele and Adams 2014:
Thiele KR and Adams LG. 2014. Families of Flowering Plants of Australia. Accessed January-December 2021. URL: https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/FFPA/key/FFPA/Media/Html/index.htm; Zhengyi et al. 2004+Zhengyi et al. 2004+:
Zhengyi W, Raven PH, and Deyuan H. 2004+. Flora of China [online]. 25 vols. Science Press, Beijing China & Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis USA. Accessed January–March 2024. http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
*The number of genera and species is based on Christenhusz and Byng 2016Christenhusz and Byng 2016:
Christenhusz MJM and Byng JW. 2016. The number of known plant species in the world and its annual increase. Phytotaxa 261 (3): 201-217. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1, which may differ from the number of genera in GRIN-Global.