Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Account for Marsh Dewflower - Murdannia keisak  
Members of Commelinaceae:
Members of Murdannia with account distribution info or public map:
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Section 5 » Order Commelinales » Family Commelinaceae
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DistributionMostly Coastal Plain, Sandhills, and Piedmont; scattered in the Mountains.

Native of Asia; in N.A. in the Southeastern states.
AbundanceFrequent to locally abundant, except rare to uncommon in the Mountains. Individual populations can be enormous and cover the water surface for many square meters. This is a highly invasive species that should be eradicated where it might be impacting rare native species.
HabitatImpoundments, beaver ponds, slow-moving rivers and streams, back-up channels, maple-gum swamps, roadside marshy wetlands, canals.
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting August-October.
IdentificationMarsh Dewflower is an annual aquatic with long floating or stranded shoots (several feet long). The ;eaves are well-spaced and lance-shaped. Solitary flowers grow on short stalks from upper leaf axils and also terminal, various shades of pink or lavender, 3 petals. This species looks like a dayflower (Commelina) or spiderwort (Tradescantia) in bloom, with a flower spread about 1/2-inch across.
Taxonomic CommentsFormerly placed in the genus Aneilema.

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State RankSE
Global RankGNR
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B.A. SorrieCovering surface of Marks Creek, June 2000. RichmondPhoto_non_natural
B.A. SorriePiedmont, shore of Deep River at old boat launch, upstream of Carbonton, Sept 2015.
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