Family · Monocots
Commelinaceae
Spiderworts, tradescantia
Spiderworts: herbs with sheathing leaves and ephemeral three-petalled flowers lasting a day.
- Accepted species
- 785accepted names · Kew WCVP
- Genera
- 36accepted genera · Kew WCVP
- Origin
- ≈50 MaPaleogene · crown age, Jin & Qian 2022 megatree
- Centre of diversity
- Africamost native species · WGSRPD
Open Commelinaceae in the treePan, zoom and dig into its genera in the interactive view.›
Plants you might know
- Tradescantia
- Commelina
- Wandering jew
- Dichorisandra
Genera
Commelina208 spp.
Tradescantia85 spp.
Aneilema65 spp.
Murdannia61 spp.
Dichorisandra59 spp.
Cyanotis51 spp.
Palisota32 spp.
Amischotolype28 spp.
Tripogandra22 spp.
Floscopa21 spp.
Pollia21 spp.
Callisia19 spp.
Gibasis14 spp.
Tinantia13 spp.
Coleotrype10 spp.
Spatholirion8 spp.
Tricarpelema8 spp.
Cartonema7 spp.
Siderasis6 spp.
Dictyospermum5 spp.
Plowmanianthus5 spp.
Thyrsanthemum5 spp.
Rhopalephora4 spp.
Stanfieldiella4 spp.
Buforrestia3 spp.
Geogenanthus3 spp.
Polyspatha3 spp.
Pseudoparis3 spp.
Cochliostema2 spp.
Elasis2 spp.
Streptolirion2 spp.
Weldenia2 spp.
Aetheolirion1 spp.
Matudanthus1 spp.
Sauvallia1 spp.
Triceratella1 spp.
Where it grows
- Africa299
- Southern America194
- Asia-Tropical175
- Northern America150
- Asia-Temperate78
- Australasia31
- Pacific6
Native species richness by botanical continent (WGSRPD level 1), from Kew WCVP.
Related families
Commelinaceae sits in the order Commelinales.