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Key to Commelinaceae

Commelinaceae

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1 Spathes absent; inflorescence open and repeatedly branched; [tribe Tradescantieae]
1 Spathes present, single or paired; inflorescence compact, unbranched.
  2 Spathes paired, terminating the stem, resembling foliage leaves in size, shape, texture, and coloration; [tribe Tradescantieae]
  2 Spathes single (or paired in Callisia), either terminal or axillary, differing from the foliage leaves (in Commelina folded, heart-shaped when spread, and usually pale-green, in Cuthbertia and Murdannia scale-like, scarious, and inconspicuous, sometimes hidden by foliage leaves in Murdannia).
    3 Spathe folded, heart-shaped when unfolded, usually pale-green, closely subtending and surrounding the flower pedicels; petals unequal, the 2 upper petals larger and usually more deeply colored than the lower petal (which is sometimes absent); [tribe Commelineae]
      4 Leaves not glaucous; spathe folded; fertile stamens 3, their filaments glabrous; [collectively widespread in our region]
      4 Leaves glaucous; spathe open; fertile stamens 6 (though of 4 disparate forms), their filaments bearded with purple or purple-and-yellow hairs; [TX only in our region]
    3 Spathe scale-like, scarious, and inconspicuous, not closely subtending and surrounding the flower pedicels; petals equal, in both size and coloration.
        5 Leaves linear, > 20× as long as wide; petals bright pink (rarely white); [tribe Tradescantieae]
        5 Leaves lanceolate, < 20× as long as wide; petals white, pink, purplish, or bluish.
          6 Fertile stamens 3, alternating with 3 staminodia; petals pink to purplish or bluish; [tribe Commelineae]
          6 Fertile stamens 0-6, all fertile (no staminodes); petals white to pink; [tribe Tradescantieae]