Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
genus Commelina

genus Commelina

9.9
A group of small green plants with bright blue dayflowers that often creep or branch
  • noun
  • Specialized
: género Commelina
  • The genus Commelina is well known for its brightly colored dayflowers that bloom each morning.

Examples

  • Gardeners sometimes cultivate plants from the genus Commelina for their attractive blue flowers.

  • Botanists have identified dozens of species within the genus Commelina across tropical and subtropical regions.

  • The genus Commelina includes various species of flowering plants.

  • Many gardeners appreciate the genus Commelina for its beautiful flowers.

  • Botanists have identified dozens of species within the genus Commelina across tropical and subtropical regions.

  • Gardeners sometimes cultivate plants from the genus Commelina for their attractive blue flowers.

  • The genus Commelina is well known for its brightly colored dayflowers that bloom each morning.

Synonyms

commelina
vsgenus Commelina
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A plant with bright blue or purple flowers that open in the morning

refers to the entire taxonomic group including many species and their creeping habit

Surface Forms

genus Commelina singular
genera Commelina plural

Morphology

genus + commelina

The phrase 'genus Commelina' is directly compositional: 'genus' names the biological rank and 'Commelina' is the taxon name, so the phrase denotes the taxonomic group. This 'genus + name' pattern is standard in scientific nomenclature and cross-linguistically regular, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand the meaning.

Etymology

Genus Commelina may come from a Dutch plant scientist named Commelijn. One popular story says the dayflower has two bright, showy petals that looked to Linnaeus like two brothers, so he used the name Commelina to 'honor' them, and today the name means this group of flowering plants.