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Commelinaceae
Bengal Dayflower
Commelina benghalensis
Fleeting beauty.
- Family
- Commelinaceae
- Genus
- Commelina
- Native to
- South Asia, Africa
- Bloom season
- Summer, Fall
- Type
- annual
- Height
- 0.5-1.5 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- Moist, fertile soil
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 8-11
- Lifespan
- annual
Did you know
- Bengal dayflower produces both above-ground and underground flowers, a rare reproductive strategy called amphicarpy.
- Each flower lasts only a single morning, wilting into a jelly-like mass by afternoon.
- The underground flowers are cleistogamous, meaning they self-pollinate without ever opening.
- It is considered an invasive weed in the southeastern United States, particularly in cotton fields.
- The plant was used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine to treat leprosy and fever.
Color meanings
0
momentary joy
1
transience