Intro: Erect to ascending perennial with horizontal subsurface stems forming clonal patches; found in bottomlands, swamp forests, tidal swamp forests and other moist to wet forests and forest edges.
Stems: Stems branched or unbranched, relatively stout, smooth or slightly hairy.
Leaves: Leaves alternate, bases enclosing the stem in a hairy tubular sheath with a fringe of reddish or yellowish bristles, lance-shaped with long tapering tip, to 8 in. long, stiff-hairy above and smooth or finely hairy beneath.
Inforescence:
Flowers: Flowers in crowded terminal clusters, each enclosed by a folded, leafy bract 1/2-1 1/4 in. long and wide; blue, about 3/4 in. wide, composed of 3 kidney-shaped petals, the lower one slightly smaller; stamens usually not hairy. Flowers open in morning and wither by afternoon.
Fruits: Fruit a small, 3-celled capsule.
Comments: Similar to Commelina diffusa, a non-native species with weak sprawling stems that root at the leaf nodes.
Height: 8-34 in.
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description: Erect to ascending perennial with horizontal subsurface stems forming clonal patches; found in bottomlands, swamp forests, tidal swamp forests and other moist to wet forests and forest edges.
stems: Stems branched or unbranched, relatively stout, smooth or slightly hairy.
leaves: Leaves alternate, bases enclosing the stem in a hairy tubular sheath with a fringe of reddish or yellowish bristles, lance-shaped with long tapering tip, to 8 in. long, stiff-hairy above and smooth or finely hairy beneath.
inflorescence:
flowers: Flowers in crowded terminal clusters, each enclosed by a folded, leafy bract 1/2-1 1/4 in. long and wide; blue, about 3/4 in. wide, composed of 3 kidney-shaped petals, the lower one slightly smaller; stamens usually not hairy. Flowers open in morning and wither by afternoon.
fruits: Fruit a small, 3-celled capsule.
comments: Similar to Commelina diffusa, a non-native species with weak sprawling stems that root at the leaf nodes.
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range: