Commelinaceae
Commelina

Commelina latifolia Hochst. ex A.Rich.

First published in Tent. Fl. Abyss. 2: 340 (1850)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Congo to Ethiopia and N. Tanzania, SW. Arabian Peninsula. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Distribution

Native to:

Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, DR Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen

Introduced into:

Canary Is.

Accepted Infraspecifics

Classification

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Publications

POWO follows these authorities in accepting this name:

  • Boulos, L. (2005). Flora of Egypt 4: 1-617. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo.
  • Boulvert, Y. (1977). Catalogue de la Flore de Centrafrique 2(2): 1-94. ORSTOM, Bangui.
  • Darbyshire, I., Kordofani, M., Farag, I., Candiga, R. & Pickering, H. (eds.) (2015). The Plants of Sudan and South Sudan: 1-400. Kew publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Dobignard, D. & Chatelain, C. (2010). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 1: 1-455. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
  • Faden, R. (2012). Commelinaceae. Flora of Tropical East Africa: 1-244.
  • Fischer, E., Rembold, K., Althof, A. & Obholzer, J. (2010). Annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Kakamega forest, Western province, Kenya. Journal of East African Natural History 99: 129-226.
  • Govaerts, R. (1999). World Checklist of Seed Plants 3(1, 2a & 2b): 1-1532. MIM, Deurne.
  • Sauerbier, H., Cabrera Calixto, F. & Muer, T. (2023). Flora Vascular de Canarias: 1-1514. Turquesa.
  • Sita, P. & Moutsambote, J.-M. (2005). Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Congo, ed. sept. 2005: 1-158. ORSTOM, Centre de Brazzaville.

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Boulvert, Y. (1977). Catalogue de la Flore de Centrafrique 2(2): 1-94. ORSTOM, Bangui.
  • Darbyshire, I., Kordofani, M., Farag, I., Candiga, R. & Pickering, H. (eds.) (2015). The Plants of Sudan and South Sudan: 1-400. Kew publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Faden, R. (2012). Commelinaceae. Flora of Tropical East Africa: 1-244.
  • Fischer, E., Rembold, K., Althof, A. & Obholzer, J. (2010). Annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Kakamega forest, Western province, Kenya. Journal of East African Natural History 99: 129-226.
  • Sauerbier, H., Cabrera Calixto, F. & Muer, T. (2023). Flora Vascular de Canarias: 1-1514. Turquesa.
  • Sita, P. & Moutsambote, J.-M. (2005). Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Congo, ed. sept. 2005: 1-158. ORSTOM, Centre de Brazzaville.

Kew Plants for Health

  • "World Checklist of Useful Pl. Spp. (Diazgranados et al., 2020)"
  • MPNS Import
  • US-FDA GSRS (2025)

Other Data

Other Kew resources that provide information on this taxon:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Morton, J.K. [EA105] Tanzania K003073891 Yes
Hancock, A.D. (Miss) [133] Kenya K003073856 Yes
Ngoundai [323] Tanzania K003073898 Yes
Masudi [19] Tanzania K003073901 Yes
Bogdan, A. [AB5609] Kenya K003073853 Yes
Gillett, J.B. [17304] Kenya K003073858 Yes
Napier, E.R. [273] Kenya K003073867 Yes
Ogwal, E.N. [112] Uganda K003073837 Yes
Ford, J. [941] Tanzania K003073889 Yes
Radcliffe-Smith, A.; Henchie, S.J. [4954] Yemen K002404669 Yes
Hepper, F.N.; Jaeger, P.M.L. [6868] Kenya K003073845 Yes
Ngoundai [252] Tanzania K003073900 Yes
Bogdan, A. [AB3008] Kenya K003073862 Yes
Luke, Q.; Luke, P. [14884] Kenya K003073854 Yes
Ogwal, E.N. [124] Uganda K003073836 Yes
Faulkner, H.G. [4862] Tanzania K003073897 Yes
Faden, R.B.; Faden, A.J. [77/317] Kenya K003073886 Yes
Luke, Q. [3240] Kenya K003073846 Yes
Verdcourt, B. [377] Kenya K:SPC-02207.000 No
Bogdan, A. [AB5667] Kenya K003073851 Yes
Ogwal, E.N. [126] Uganda K003073842 Yes
McDonald, J. [791] Kenya K003073868 Yes
Rayner, R.W. [478] Kenya K003073864 Yes
Wood, J.R.I. [3372] Yemen K002404667 Yes
Maas Geesteranus, R.A. [6307] Kenya K003073877 Yes
Gillett, J.B. [17311] Kenya K003073859 Yes
Lugard, E.J. [213a] Kenya K003073849 Yes
Kibue, K. [105] Kenya K003073882 Yes
Swank, W.G. [EA14257] Kenya K003073884 Yes
Glover; Gwynne; Samuel [1560] Kenya K003073908 Yes
Faden, R.B.; Phillips, S.M.; Muasya, A.M.; Vollesen, K.B. [96/5] Tanzania K003073910 Yes
Bally, P.R.O. [B5591] Kenya K003073844 Yes
Kisena, C.M. [26] Tanzania K003073896 Yes
Tweedie, E.M. (Miss) [285] Kenya K003073848 Yes
Chuwa, S. [3039] Tanzania K003073893 Yes
Lyne Watt, W. [1185] Kenya K003073866 Yes
Bally, P.R.O. [26] Kenya K003073871 Yes
Tweedie, E.M. (Miss) [285] Kenya K003073847 Yes
Edwards, D.C. [18[2]0] Kenya K003073870 Yes
Bally, P.R.O. [2269] Tanzania K003073912 Yes
s.coll. [5166] Rwanda K003072259 Yes
Verdcourt; Polhill [3165] Kenya K003073872 Yes
Bernardi, L. [9210] Kenya K003073855 Yes
Chandler, P. [2437] Uganda K003073840 Yes
Grimshaw, J.M. [JMG94288] Tanzania K003073890 Yes
Mshana, H. [4] Tanzania K003073899 Yes
Bally, P.R.O. [B5363] Kenya K003073881 Yes
Maas Geesteranus, R.A. [6154] Kenya K003073850 Yes
Scott Elliot, G.F. [7588] Uganda K003073834 Yes
Ogwal, E.N. [126] Uganda K003073841 Yes
Faden, R.B.; Faden, A.J. [74/833] Kenya K003073875 Yes
Faden, R.B.; Phillips, S.M.; Muasya, A.M.; Vollesen, K.B. [96/5] Tanzania K003073911 Yes
Terry, P.J. [3491] Kenya K003073874 Yes
Rayner, R.W. [478] Kenya K:SPC-02208.000 No
Tweedie [580] Kenya K003073852 Yes
Hazel, C. [251] Uganda K003073839 Yes
Rayner, R.W. [478] Kenya K003073863 Yes
Kibue, K. [K154] Kenya K003073860 Yes
Macdonald, J. [756] Kenya K003073873 Yes
Fayad, C. [256] Kenya K003073885 Yes
Tanner, R. [5556] Tanzania K003073887 Yes
Verdcourt, B. [377] Kenya K003073865 Yes
Ogwal, E.N. [112] Uganda K003073838 Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] Tanzania K003073888 Yes
Richards, M. [20215] Tanzania K003073895 Yes
Battiscombe, E. [631] Kenya K003073857 Yes
Wood, J.R.I. [1867] Yemen K002404668 Yes
Faden, R.B.; Evans, A.W.; Bally, P.R.O. [69/2020] Kenya K003073879 Yes
Whyte, A. [s.n.] Kenya K003073869 Yes
Hyde, M. [5] Kenya K003073876 Yes
Glover, P.E.; et al. [3043] Kenya K003073883 Yes
Richards, M. [20081] Tanzania K003073894 Yes
Hill, B. (Mrs) [295] Kenya K003073878 Yes
Pócs, T.; Chuwa, S. [89035/C] Tanzania K003073892 Yes
Archbold, N.E. [588] Tanzania K003073902 Yes
Stewart; McCabe [631] Kenya K003073909 Yes
Bos, J.J. [1236] South Africa K003932010 Yes
Mwangargi, O.M. [1938] Kenya K003073861 Yes
Tweedie [753] Kenya K003073880 Yes
Troupin, G. [4971A] Rwanda K003072260 Yes
Oteke, J. [91] Kenya K003073843 Yes
Ogwal, E.N. [124] Uganda K003073835 Yes

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0