General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Partial or Dappled Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Flowers: Inconspicuous
Flower Color: Blue
Lavender
Pink
White
Yellow
Bloom Size: Under 1"

Image
Common names
  • Dayflower
  • Widow's Tears

Photo Gallery
Location: Sebastian,  Florida
Date: 2023-02-19
Location: Sebastian,  Florida
Date: 2023-02-19
Location: Sebastian,  Florida
Date: 2023-02-19
Location: Sebastian,  Florida
Date: 2023-02-19
Location: Sebastian,  Florida
Date: 2023-09-07
Location: Fountain, Florida
Location: Sebastian,  Florida
Date: 2020-10-15
Location: Wood County, Texas
Date: 2020-05-12
Photo by sedumzz
Location: My garden in Belgium
Date: 2010-10-29
Photo by Shell
Location: Sebastian,  Florida
Date: 2020-10-15
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2012-08-06
Location: Opp, AL
Date: 2015-06-03
Location: Atlantic Rainforest, Paraty, Brazil
Location: Atlantic Rainforest, Paraty, Brazil
Date: 2015-01-12
Location: Atlantic Rainforest, Paraty, Brazil
Date: 2015-01-12
Location: Atlantic Rainforest, Paraty, Brazil
Date: 2015-01-12

Date: 2012-10-03
Location: Sebastian,  Florida
Date: 2020-10-15
Location: Sebastian,  Florida
Date: 2020-10-15
Location: Sebastian,  Florida
Date: 2020-10-15

Photo courtesy of: davidbygott
Location: Atlantic Rainforest, Paraty, Brazil
Date: 2015-01-12
Location: Atlantic Rainforest, Paraty, Brazil
Date: 2014-12-29
Location: Wood County, Texas
Date: 2019-04-28
Comments:
  • Posted by sedumzz (Fairfax VA - Zone 7a) on Dec 15, 2023 10:11 PM concerning plant:
    The blue coloration of Commelina is a good example of copigmentation. Commelinin, the dye involved, is a combination of both anthocyanins, flavones, and magnesium ions.

    Anthocyanins are usually responsible for colors ranging from blue to red-purple in some plants, while flavones are usually colorless or extremely pale yellow.

    Both are flavonoids, which are a group of water-soluble pigments. Flavonoids are phenols, meaning they have a hydroxyl group attached to an aromatic ring. Phenols are secondary metabolites in plants.

    In summary, copigmentation is the idea in which anthocyanins are reinforced by the presence of other colorless flavonoids (in this case, flavones) and/or ions (in this case, magnesium ions).
Discussion Threads about this plant
Thread Title Last Reply Replies
Not C. communis by purpleinopp Jul 17, 2016 12:00 PM 4
Doubt C. communis by purpleinopp Mar 13, 2017 11:38 AM 7
Not C. erecta by purpleinopp Jul 19, 2017 6:44 PM 3
Thinking Commelina by purpleinopp Jul 3, 2021 8:05 PM 1

« Add a new plant to the database

« The Plants Database Front Page