List of Commelinales of South Africa

The Commelinales are an order of flowering plants. It comprises five families: Commelinaceae, Haemodoraceae, Hanguanaceae, Philydraceae, and Pontederiaceae. All the families combined contain over 885 species in about 70 genera; the majority of species are in the Commelinaceae. Plants in the order share a number of synapomorphies that tie them together, such as a lack of mycorrhizal associations and tapetal raphides. Estimates differ as to when the Comminales evolved, but most suggest an origin and diversification sometime during the mid- to late Cretaceous. The order's closest relatives are in the Zingiberales.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, November 2011. The anthophytes are a grouping of plant taxa bearing flower-like reproductive structures. They were formerly thought to be a clade comprising plants bearing flower-like structures. The group contained the angiosperms - the extant flowering plants, such as roses and grasses - as well as the Gnetales and the extinct Bennettitales.

23,420 species of vascular plant have been recorded in South Africa, making it the sixth most species-rich country in the world and the most species-rich country on the African continent. Of these, 153 species are considered to be threatened. Nine biomes have been described in South Africa: Fynbos, Succulent Karoo, desert, Nama Karoo, grassland, savanna, Albany thickets, the Indian Ocean coastal belt, and forests.

The 2018 South African National Biodiversity Institute's National Biodiversity Assessment plant checklist lists 35,130 taxa in the phyla Anthocerotophyta (hornworts (6)), Anthophyta (flowering plants (33534)), Bryophyta (mosses (685)), Cycadophyta (cycads (42)), Lycopodiophyta (Lycophytes(45)), Marchantiophyta (liverworts (376)), Pinophyta (conifers (33)), and Pteridophyta (cryptogams (408)).

Three families are represented in the literature. Listed taxa include species, subspecies, varieties, and forms as recorded, some of which have subsequently been allocated to other taxa as synonyms, in which cases the accepted taxon is appended to the listing. Multiple entries under alternative names reflect taxonomic revision over time.

Commelinaceae Family: Commelinaceae,

Aneilema Genus Aneilema: Aneilema aequinoctiale (P.Beauv.) Loudon, indigenous Aneilema arenicola Faden, indigenous Aneilema brunneospermum Faden, indigenous Aneilema dregeanum Kunth, indigenous Aneilema dregeanum Kunth subsp. dregeanum, indigenous Aneilema hockii De Wild. indigenous Aneilema hockii De Wild. subsp. hockii, indigenous Aneilema hockii De Wild. subsp. longiaxis Faden, indigenous Aneilema indehiscens Faden, indigenous Aneilema indehiscens Faden subsp. lilacinum Faden, indigenous Aneilema longirrhizum Faden, endemic Aneilema nicholsonii C.B.Clarke, indigenous Aneilema zebrinum Chiov. indigenous

Callisia Genus Callisia: Callisia fragrans (Lindl.) Woodson, not indigenous, cultivated, naturalised Callisia repens (Jacq.) L. not indigenous, naturalised, invasive

Coleotrype Genus Coleotrype: Coleotrype natalensis C.B.Clarke, indigenous Commelina africana L. indigenous Commelina africana L. var. africana, indigenous Commelina africana L. var. barberae (C.B.Clarke) C.B.Clarke, indigenous Commelina africana L. var. krebsiana (Kunth) C.B.Clarke, indigenous Commelina africana L. var. lancispatha C.B.Clarke, indigenous Commelina bella Oberm. endemic Commelina benghalensis L. indigenous Commelina diffusa Burm.f. indigenous Commelina diffusa Burm.f. subsp. diffusa, indigenous Commelina diffusa Burm.f. subsp. scandens (Welw. ex C.B.Clarke) Oberm. indigenous Commelina eckloniana Kunth, indigenous Commelina erecta L. indigenous Commelina forskaolii Vahl, indigenous Commelina imberbis Ehrenb. ex Hassk. indigenous Commelina krebsiana Kunth, accepted as Commelina africana L. var. krebsiana (Kunth) C.B.Clarke, indigenous Commelina livingstonii C.B.Clarke, indigenous Commelina modesta Oberm. indigenous Commelina petersii Hassk. indigenous Commelina rogersii Burtt Davy, endemic Commelina subulata Roth, indigenous Commelina zambesica C.B.Clarke, indigenous

Cyanotis Genus Cyanotis: Cyanotis lanata Benth. indigenous Cyanotis lapidosa E.Phillips, indigenous Cyanotis pachyrrhiza Oberm. endemic Cyanotis robusta Oberm. endemic Cyanotis speciosa (L.f.) Hassk. indigenous

Floscopa Genus Floscopa: Floscopa glomerata (Willd. ex Schult. & J.H.Schult.) Hassk. indigenous

Murdannia Genus Murdannia: Murdannia simplex (Vahl) Brenan, indigenous

Tradescantia Genus Tradescantia: Tradescantia fluminensis Vell. not indigenous, cultivated, naturalised, invasive Tradescantia pallida (Rose) D.R.Hunt, not indigenous, cultivated, naturalised Tradescantia zebrina Bosse, not indigenous, naturalised, invasive

Zebrina Genus Zebrina: Zebrina pendula Schnizl. accepted as Tradescantia zebrina Bosse, not indigenous, naturalised, invasive

Haemodoraceae Family: Haemodoraceae,

Anigozanthos Genus Anigozanthos: Anigozanthos flavidus DC. not indigenous, cultivated, naturalised, invasive

Barberetta Genus Barberetta: Barberetta aurea Harv. endemic

Dilatris Genus Dilatris: Dilatris corymbosa P.J.Bergius, endemic Dilatris ixioides Lam. endemic Dilatris paniculata L.f. accepted as Dilatris viscosa L.f. present Dilatris pillansii W.F.Barker, endemic Dilatris viscosa L.f. endemic

Wachendorfia Genus Wachendorfia: Wachendorfia brachyandra W.F.Barker, endemic Wachendorfia graminifolia L.f. accepted as Wachendorfia paniculata Burm. present Wachendorfia multiflora (Klatt) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt, endemic Wachendorfia paniculata Burm. endemic Wachendorfia parviflora W.F.Barker, accepted as Wachendorfia multiflora (Klatt) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt, present Wachendorfia thyrsiflora Burm. endemic

Pontederiaceae Family: Pontederiaceae,

Eichhornia Genus Eichhornia: Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms, not indigenous, naturalised, invasive

Heteranthera Genus Heteranthera: Heteranthera callifolia Rchb. ex Kunth, indigenous

Monochoria Genus Monochoria: Monochoria africana (Solms) N.E.Br. indigenous

Pontederia Genus Pontederia: Pontederia cordata L. not indigenous, naturalised, invasive Pontederia cordata L. var. ovalis Solms, not indigenous, naturalised

References