Commelinaceae
Spiderwort Family
The dayflower family of succulent herbs found in moist tropical and subtropical habitats. Flowers last only a single day and typically have 3 petals, often with attractive blue, violet, or white colouration. Includes wandering jew (Tradescantia) and spiderwort. Stems are usually jointed and fleshy.
Browse all 41 species ↓
Succulent, often purple-tinged stems with sharply folded, parallel-veined leaves; 3-petaled flowers, two petals larger than the third.
The leaves and stems have a distinctly mucilaginous, slippery texture when crushed — similar to the unrelated Mallow family.
Which Commelinaceae species is this?
Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Commelinaceae species.
How to recognise the Commelinaceae family
- 01
Jointed, fleshy stems
- 02
3-petalled flowers lasting one day
- 03
Sheathing leaf bases; often glaucous
To check whether a plant belongs to Commelinaceae, compare the leaf arrangement, leaf type, flower symmetry, fruit type, and one distinctive marker together. A single feature can mislead; the family pattern is the combination.
Learn the full family-identification methodTypical leaf characters
Characters typical of the family — individual species can vary.
Typical flower & fruit
- Flower symmetryZygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- InflorescenceCyme
- FruitCapsule
Typical of the family — flowering plants only; species can vary.
Notable members
Families that can look similar
Orchidaceae
Compare against Orchidaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare OrchidaceaeZingiberaceae
Compare against Zingiberaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare ZingiberaceaeBalsaminaceae
Compare against Balsaminaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare BalsaminaceaeLiliaceae
Compare against Liliaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare LiliaceaeAll 41 species in COMMELINACEAE
- False Bromeliad PlantCallisia fragrans
- Creeping Inch PlantCallisia repens
- Garden Commelina, DayflowerCommelina benghalensis
- Willow-Leaved Day-FlowerCommelina clavata
- Climbing Day Flower, Creeping DayflowerCommelina diffusa
- Whitemouth DayflowerCommelina erecta
- Rat's-EarCommelina forskalaei
- Indian DayflowerCommelina hasskarlii
- Long-Leaf DayflowerCommelina longifolia
- Swamp DayflowerCommelina paludosa
- Shrubby DayflowerCommelina suffruticosa
- Sahyadri Dew-GrassCyanotis adscendens
- Grass Of The DewCyanotis arachnoidea
- Bristly Dew-GrassCyanotis burmanniana
- Crested Cat EarsCyanotis cristata
- Fluffy Cat Ears, NilwantiCyanotis fasciculata
- Crested Cat EarsCyanotis papilionacea
- Greater Cat EarsCyanotis tuberosa
- Climbing Flower CupFloscopa scandens
- Woolly DewflowerMurdannia lanuginosa
- Severalflower DewflowerMurdannia loriformis
- Nakedstem DewflowerMurdannia nudiflora
- Little GloryMurdannia semiteres
- Large DewflowerMurdannia simplex
- Asiatic DewflowerMurdannia spirata
- Creeping Cradle PlantTonningia axillaris
- Purple HeartTradescantia pallida
- Boat Lily, Rheo, Oyster Plant, Moses-In-The-BoatTradescantia spathacea
- InchplantTradescantia zebrina
- Aneilema montanum
- Aneilema ovalifolium
- Aneilema scaberrimum
- Commelina hirsuta
- Cyanotis arcotensis
- Cyanotis tuberosa var. adscendens
- Murdannia dimorpha
- Murdannia gigantea
- Murdannia lanceolata
- Murdannia pauciflora
- Murdannia vaginata
- Murdannia versicolor
Identify any Commelinaceae plant in seconds
Point your camera and SASYA names the species on-device — offline and private.
Download SASYA — Free