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Family
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- Commelinaceae – Spiderwort family
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Flower
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- 1.5 cm (0.5 inch) head
- 3 green sepals
- 2 round blue petals arranged above a smaller white one
- 6 stamens
- all parts extend out from an encircling, heart-shaped bract
- may grow in clusters or singly
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Leaf
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- 8-13 cm (3-5 inches) long, pointed, and lance-shaped
- rounded at base
- sheathed stem
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Location
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- in most of eastern region of North America
- found in along roadsides, woodlands and other distressed areas
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Flowering Time
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Other
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- may be from 30-90 cm (1-3 feet) long since it is a creeping vine
- exotic from Asia
- flowers open for only a single day
- colonizes from a single root system
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Name Origin
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- This species usually colonizes an area from a single root system, giving it its species name communis.
- Genus name comes from the Commelin, a Dutch family. Two of their sons were famous botanists (the 2 blue petals) and the third did not do anything in botany (the white petal).
- The name of Mouse Flower comes from the appearance of the flower itself.
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