List of Commelinaceae genera

This is a list of Commelinaceae genera as of 2025. This list includes all genera recognised as current by the Kew's Plants of the World Online.^[1]

Genera list

Cartonema spicatum, as illustrated in Robert Brown's Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen

Inflorescence of Palisota pynaertii

Commelina lukei

A species of Tradescantia being visited by a fly.

Dichorisandra thyrsiflora, the type species of Dichorisandra

Cyanotis beddomei in cultivation

Cochliostema jacobianum

Aneilema aequinoctiale from Tanzania

Pollia japonica with the syrphid fly Episyrphus balteatus

Genus Authority	Year	Classification	Type species	# of species	Distribution
Cartonema R.Br.[2]	1810	Cartonematoideae Cartonemateae	Cartonema spicatum R.Br.	7	Australia
Triceratella Brenan[3]	1961	Cartonematoideae Triceratelleae	Triceratella drummondii Brenan	1	Zimbabwe & Mozambique
Palisota Rchb. ex Endlicher[4]	1836	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Palisotineae	Palisota ambigua (P.Beauv.) C.B.Clarke	31	Africa
Streptolirion Edgew.[5]	1845	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Streptoliriineae	Streptolirion volubile Edgew.	2	Himalayas to Japan
Spatholirion Ridl.[6]	1896	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Streptoliriineae	Spatholirion ornatum Ridl.	7	China to Malaysia
Aetheolirion Forman[7]	1962	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Streptoliriineae	Aetheolirion stenolobium Forman	1	Thailand
Cyanotis D.Don[8]	1825	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Cyanotinae	Cyanotis barbata D.Don	51	Paleotropics
Coleotrype C.B.Clarke[9]	1881	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Coleotrypineae	Coleotrype natalensis C.B.Clarke	10	Africa, Madagascar
Amischotolype Hassk.[10]	1863	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Coleotrypineae	Amischotolype glabrata[N 1] Hassk.	28	Central Africa, India to New Guinea
Siderasis Raf.[11]	1837 ("1836")	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Dichorisandrinae	Siderasis acaulis[N 2] Raf.	6	Eastern Brazil
Dichorisandra J.C.Mikan[12]	1820	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Dichorisandrinae	Dichorisandra thyrsiflora J.C.Mikan	57	Neotropics
Cochliostema Lem.[13]	1859	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Dichorisandrinae	Cochliostema odoratissimum Lem.	2	Nicaragua to Ecuador
Geogenanthus[N 3] Ule[14]	1913	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Dichorisandrinae	Geogenanthus wittianus[N 4] (Ule) Ule	3	Western South America
Plowmanianthus Faden & C.R.Hardy[15]	2004	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Dichorisandrinae	Plowmanianthus perforans Faden & C.R.Hardy	5	Panama to Amazonian Bassin
Tinantia Scheidw.[16]	1839	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Thyrsanthemineae	Tinantia fugax[N 5] Scheidw.	13	Texas to Neotropics
Thyrsanthemum Pichon[17]	1946	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Thyrsanthemineae	Thyrsanthemum floribundum (M.Martens & Galeotti) Pichon	4	Mexico
Weldenia Schult.f.[18]	1829	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Thyrsanthemineae	Weldenia candida Schult.f.	2	Mexico and Guatemala
Matudanthus D.R.Hunt[19]	1978	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Thyrsanthemineae	Matudanthus nanus (M.Martens & Galeotti) D.R.Hunt	1	Mexico
Sauvallia C.Wright ex Hassk.[20]	1870	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Thyrsanthemineae	Sauvallea blainii C.Wright	1	Cuba
Elasis D.R.Hunt[19]	1978	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Tradescantiinae	Elasis hirsuta (Kunth) D.R.Hunt	2	Ecuador
Gibasis Raf.[11]	1839	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Tradescantiinae	Gibasis pulchella (Kunth)Raf.	14	Neotropics
Tradescantia L.[21]	1753	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Tradescantiinae	Tradescantia virginiana L.	86	New World
Callisia Loefl.[22]	1758	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Tradescantiinae	Callisia repens (Jacq.) L.	19	Tropical and subtropical Americas
Tripogandra Raf.[11]	1837	Commelinoideae Tradescantieae Tradescantiinae	Tripogandra multiflora (Sw.) Raf.	22	Neotropics
Stanfieldiella Brenan[23]	1960	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Stanfieldiella imperforata (C.B.Clarke) Brenan	4	Africa
Floscopa Lour.[24]	1790	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Floscopa scandens Lour.	21	Pantropical
Buforrestia C.B.Clarke[9]	1881	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Buforrestia mannii C.B.Clarke	3	West and Central Africa and northern South America
Murdannia Royle[25]	1840 ("1839")	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Murdannia scapiflora[N 6] (Roxb.) Royle	61	Pantropcal
Tricarpelema J.K.Morton[26]	1966	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Tricarpelema thomsonii[N 7] (C.B.Clarke) J.K.Morton	8	India to Southeast Asia
Pseudoparis H.Perrier[27]	1936	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Pseudoparis cauliflora H.Perrier	2 or 3	Madagascar
Polyspatha Benth.[28]	1849	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Polyspatha paniculata Benth.	3	Tropical Africa
Dictyospermum Wight[29]	1853	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Dictyospermum montanum Wight	5	India and Sri Lanka to New Guinea
Pollia Thunb.[30]	1781	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Pollia japonica Thunb.	19	Pantropical
Aneilema R.Br.[2]	1810	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Aneilema biflorum R.Br.	66	Pantropical
Rhopalephora Hassk.[31]	1864	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Rhopalephora blumei[N 8] Hassk.	4	Madagascar, India to Fiji
Commelina L.[21]	1753	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Commelina communis L.	208	Cosmopolitan
Tapheocarpa Conran[32]	1994	Commelinoideae Commelineae	Tapheocarpa calandrinioides (F.Muell.) Conran	1	Australia

Notes

1. The correct name for this species is Amischotolype mollissima (Blume) Hassk.
2. This name is illegitimate; the correct name is Siderasis fuscata (Lodd.) H.E.Moore.
3. This name was proposed as a replacement for Ule's own Chamaeanthus (Verh. Bot. Vereins Prov. Brandenburg 50:71, 1909, "1908"), which was predated by Chamaeanthus J.J.Sm. (Orch. Jav.:552, 1905), but the replacement Uleopsis had been published by Friedrich Karl Georg Fedde in the meantime (Just's Bot. Jahresber. 37(2):77, 1911, "1909" ). The correct name is Uleopsis, but is not in current use.
4. The currently used name for this species is Geogenanthus poeppigii (Miq.) Faden; the correct, but yet unpublished combination would be Uleopsis poeppigii.
5. A synonym of Tinantia erecta (Jacq.) Fenzl.
6. This species is currently treated as a synonym of Murdannia edulis (Stokes) Faden.
7. Now a synonym of Tricarpelema giganteum (Hassk.) H.Hara.
8. This species' correct name is Rhopalephora micrantha (Vahl) Faden.