common dayflower

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Asiatic dayflower
• Dayflower
• common dayflower

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae, it is further organized into the order Commelinales and the family Commelinaceae. Finally, its taxonomic identity is completed by its classification under the genus Commelina.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse presence across multiple regions of the European continent. In Middle Europe, its range extends through Austria and Germany. It can also be found within the territories of Czechia and Slovakia. Moving toward the south, the species is distributed across Southwestern Europe. Specifically, its geographical reach includes the countries of Portugal and Spain.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Commelina communis is characterized by its ability to thrive in diverse environments, specifically within habitats such as gardens, along riverbanks, and among stony places. This species occupies a highly specific niche regarding its altitudinal distribution, with its presence documented at an elevation of 1750 m AMSL.

Elevational range max:

1750 m AMSL

Habitat :

garden,rivers,stonyplaces

Life history

The life history of Commelina communis is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning it completes its entire biological process from germination to seed production within a single growing season. In terms of its structural growth patterns, the plant is classified as a therophyte, a life form defined by its reliance on seeds to survive unfavorable environmental conditions, effectively bypassing periods of stress through dormancy. This classification as a therophyte is consistent across both its primary and secondary morphological descriptions, indicating a strategy where the vegetative body dies off at the end of the season, leaving only seeds to persist in the soil until the next favorable cycle begins.

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Commelina communis is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb, specifically classified as a forb. This plant exhibits a low-growing habit with a plant height ranging from a minimum of 0.2 m to a maximum of 0.7 m. While it can exhibit self-supporting climbing tendencies, it is fundamentally a terrestrial species rather than aquatic or semiaquatic, and it functions as an independent organism rather than a parasite or an epiphyte.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

0.7 m

Plant height min:

0.2 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Commelina communis is characterized by a metabolic framework governed by the C3 photosynthetic pathway, a process where carbon dioxide is fixed directly into a three-carbon compound during the Calvin cycle. This C3 mechanism involves the enzyme Rubisco facilitating the carboxylation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate, which is typical for many herbaceous plants growing in temperate to tropical environments. The plant utilizes this pathway to convert light energy into chemical energy, supporting its rapid growth and succulent stem structure. Because it relies on the C3 pathway, its photosynthetic efficiency is highly dependent on ambient temperature and moisture availability, as it must keep its stomata open for gas exchange, which inherently leads to transpirational water loss. This physiological trait dictates its ecological preference for moist, shaded, or partially sunny habitats where water loss can be managed effectively.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Commelina communis is characterized by a specific seasonal flowering cycle and the production of highly uniform seeds. The flowering period typically commences in July and continues through until October, providing a window for pollination during the mid-to-late summer and early autumn months. Following successful fertilization, the plant produces seeds that exhibit remarkable consistency in weight; the seed mass is recorded with a mean, minimum, and maximum value of 0.00848 g, indicating a lack of significant variance in the mass of individual seeds produced.

Flowering time :

Jul

Flowering time :

Oct

Seed mass mean:

0.00848 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Commelina communis has 11 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 1-DEOXYNOJIRIMYCIN, 1-Deoxymannojirimycin, 2,5-Dihydroxymethyl-3,4-dihydroxypyrrolidine, 7-O-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSYL-ALPHA-HOMONOJIRIMYCIN, ABA.

1-DEOXYNOJIRIMYCIN

1. Planta medica

1-Deoxymannojirimycin

1. Planta medica

2,5-Dihydroxymethyl-3,4-dihydroxypyrrolidine

1. Planta medica

7-O-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSYL-ALPHA-HOMONOJIRIMYCIN

1. Planta medica

ABA

1. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Commelinin

1. Dr. Duke

DELPHIN

1. Dr. Duke

Flavocommelin

1. Dr. Duke

Malonylawobanin

1. Dr. Duke

alpha-Homonojirimycin

1. Planta medica

Activities

Commelina communis has 26 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor, Allelopathic, Antibacterial, Anticlastogen, Antifertility.

Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Allelopathic

1. Dr. Duke

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke

Anticlastogen

1. Dr. Duke

Antifertility

1. Dr. Duke

Antihepatotoxic

1. Dr. Duke

Antileukemic

1. Dr. Duke

Antinitrosaminic

1. Dr. Duke

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke

Antiperoxidant

1. Dr. Duke

Preparations

Commelina communis has 1 reported preparations identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include methanolic extract.

Methanolic extract

1. Planta medica