Commelina benghalensis L., 1753

Verloove, Filip, 2021, New records in vascular plants alien to Tenerife (Spain, Canary Islands), Biodiversity Data Journal 9, pp. 62878-62878 : 62878

Commelina benghalensis L., 1753

Commelina benghalensis Sp. Pl. 1: 41. 1753.

Distribution

TENERIFE: Arona, Palm-Mar, Paseo Avutarda, wall of manhole, persistent since 2015, 18.12.2018, F. Verloove 13426 (BR). https://observation.org/observation/205254429/

Notes

Commelina benghalensis is a weed from the Old World subtropics. In the Canary Islands, it is only known from Gran Canaria ( Acebes Ginovés et al. 2010), although most (if not all) records probably date back to the 19th century (e.g. Buch 1833).

Since 2015, it has been known from a single locality in Tenerife. In Palm-Mar, it persists on the wall of a manhole. Its presence was regularly confirmed since then.

This species differs from the common and invasive Commelina species in the Canary Islands ( C. diffusa ) by the spathe margins that are fused near base. This characteristic is shared with C. latifolia Hochst. ex A. Rich., an African species that recently naturalised in La Palma ( Otto and Verloove 2016). It can be distinguished from the latter by the typical pubescence that consists of reddish hairs and all petals, including the minute lower one, being blue.