R.B. Faden (1995) Commelinaceae in Flora of Somalia 4: 79-94
Plants annual or perennial herbs. Leaves basal or cauline, alternate, with closed dheaths; blades simple, entire, opposite, somewhat succulent. Inflorescences terminal, axillary, or both terminal and axillary, sometimes becoming leaf-opposed, cymose, composed of scorpioid cymes, thyrsiform or various reduced, sometimes enclosed in spathers. Flowers bisexual or bisexual and staminate, rarely bisexual and pistillate or polygamous, the plants then andormonoecious or pygamodioecious; sepals 3, free or united. usually unequal and green, occasionally petal-like; petals 3, free or connate. equal or unequal, deliquescent; stamens 6, all fertile or some staminodiial or lacking, rarely all lacking; filaments glabrous or bearded; anthers usually longitudinally dehiscent, rarely poricidal; ovaries 2- or 3-celles, cells with 1-many ovules, ovules uniseriate or biseritate; styles simple, usually slender; stigmas usually simple, rarely 3-lobed, enlarged or not. Fruits usually loculicisal capsules, rarely indehiscent or berries; seeds 1-many per cell, hila punctiform to lineae.
The Commelinaceae is a cosmopolitan tropical family with about 40 genera and 650 species. The flowers are delicate and remain open for only a few hours, after which they become liquid.