pronounced: kom-uh-lee-NAY-see-eye
Commelina, and the Commelinaceae family, were named for two 17th century Dutch botanists: Johan Commelin and his nephew Caspar Commelin, both of them known to Linnaeus. Commelinaceae are frequently more-or-less succulent herbs, and often have cymose inflorescences sometimes subtended by a boat-shaped spathe. The leaves are alternate, simple and parallel-veined. The flowers are ephemeral, lack nectar, and offer only pollen as a reward to their pollinators. They often try to deceive the pollinators by appearing to offer a larger reward than is actually present. This may consist of yellow hairs or broad anther connectives that mimic pollen, or staminodes that look like fertile stamens.
