Botanical name: Murdannia brownii    Family: Commelinaceae (Dayflower family)

Konkan Dewflower is an unbranched or sparsely branched annual herb, with thin, fibrous roots. It is named after eminent Scottish botanist Robert Brown in appreciation of his great contribution to the Dayflower family. Shoots are erect to ascending, about 25 cm. long, often rooting at lower nodes. Leaves are borne in the stem, basal distichous; sheath green, 0.4-0.5 cm long. Leaf-blade is ovate, 1-5 x 0.5-1.5 cm, velvet-hairy base heart-shaped, margin wavy, tip pointed. Flowers are borne in thyrses in leaf-axils, bisexual; flower-stalk 1-1.5 cm long (when capsule mature it becomes 1.5-1.8 cm long and jointed), fringed with hairs; sepals 3, pale green with purple tinge, elliptic, 5 x 1.2 mm, entire. Petals are 3, rosy red to flesh-colored, obovate, 6 x 4 mm, margin wavy. Fertile stamens 3, antesepalous; filaments free, 3 mm long, purple, bearded; anthers whitish yellow. Staminodes are 3, antepetalous; filaments 2 mm long, purple, sparcely bearded. Ovary, elliptic, 1 mm long, hairless, pale green; style 2 mm long, orange-yellow; stigma simple. Capsule is trivalved, elliptic, apiculate, 3.5-4 mm long, about 2 mm thick, shiny brown. Flowers open between 10 am and 12 noon. Konkan Dewflower is found in Northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Flowering: September-November.

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The flower labeled Konkan Dewflower is ...