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Commelina sphaerorrhizoma is a monocotyledonous, herbaceous plant in the dayflower family from south-central Africa. This blue-flowered herb has been recorded from western Zambia, central Angola, and the southern portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, although at the time of its description it was known only from 11 collections and may be more broadly distributed. It is found in a variety of habitats ranging from woodlands to grasslands to roadsides. The plant's most distinctive feature and the source of its scientific name is its moniliform rhizome composed of spherical segments that can form a bead-like chain. Other distinguishing characteristics include glaucous leaves with clasping bases, unfused and virtually hairless spathes, capsules composed of three, one-seeded locules, and very large seeds with a hairy surface.
Commelina sphaerorhizoma is found in south-central Africa and is currently known from an area larger than 10,000 square kilometers. It has been collected in western Zambia, the southern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and central Angola. However, at the time of the publication of the plant's description, it was known from only 11 collections. The describing authors state that the plant is probably not rare, but rather rarely collected due to its inconspicuous appearance when not in flower; consequently the plant is believed to be more broadly distributed than is currently known. The diverse range of habitats in which the plant is found as well as the relatively undeveloped regions that it inhabits add to this hypothesis. The aforementioned 11 collections represent Bié Province and Cuando Cubango Province in Angola, Haut-Katanga District and Kwango District in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Mongu District, Kaoma District, and Mwinilunga District in Zambia.
Commelina acutispatha · African Yellow Dayflower · Jio · Carolina dayflower · Ciliate Dayflower · Asiatic dayflower · Creeping Christian · Birdbill dayflower · Climbing dayflower · Annual Blue Dayflower · Commelina ensifolia · Whitemouth dayflower
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Commelina sphaerorrhizoma by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
