Commelina benghalensis von Linné (1753: 41)

Hassemer, Gustavo, 2020, Further cleaning of the name pool in the New World Commelina (Commelinaceae), and notes on the African C. aquatica, Phytotaxa 435 (2), pp. 101-132 : 102

1.1. Commelina benghalensis von Linné (1753: 41) , nom. cons.

≡ Commelina cucullata von Linné (1771: 176)

Type: — INDIA. S.d., Anonymous s.n. (conserved neotype [designated by Faden 1992: 341] LINN-65.16!).

= Commelina nervosa Burman (1768: 18 , t. 7[3])

Type: —(illustration) (lectotype, designated here) Plate 7(3) in Burman (1768).

Notes: —The protologue of C. nervosa ( Burman 1768: 18) provided the following information about the type: “ D. Outgaerden. Habitat Cormandeli”. I have not been able to locate any original specimens for this name. Thus, in accordance with Arts. 9.3, 9.4 and 9.12 of the ICN, I designate the only extant original element, i.e. the illustration provided in the protologue (Plate 7[3] in Burman 1768) as the lectotype.

Field work and cultivation experiments conducted in several parts of Brazil evidenced that C. benghalensis is morphologically very variable. One notable aspect observed, which does not appear to be related in the literature relates to the staminodes: while the majority of specimens of the species have all flowers with three staminodes (as described in Hassemer 2019), I observed some plants producing flowers with two staminodes. This character is not geographically consistent, and in one plant flowers with both numbers of staminodes were observed, clearly indicating the lack of taxonomic value for this character. Furthermore, in Hassemer (2019: 90) I informed that the lateral stamens of C. benghalensis produce yellow pollen; this was a mistake, as those stamens produce white pollen instead.