Herbarium JCB

Cyanotis cristata (L.) D.Don

Family : COMMELINACEAE
(SPIDERWORT FAMILY)
Family (as per The Plant List) : Commelinaceae
Species : Cyanotis cristata
Basionym : Commelina cristata L.
Species Name (as per The Plant List) : Cyanotis cristata (L.) D.Don
Common name : Crested Cat Ears
Vernacular name : Eggoli (Tel.)
Collection Nos : HJCB-0044; HJCB-E-243
Collector(s) Name : K.R.K.Swamy & Arun Singh R.; K.R.K.Swamy
Collection Date : 13/09/14; 15/11/2014
Collection Locality : Jamunamarthur, Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu State; Batrepalli, Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh State
Habitat : Rocky terrain
Key identification features : A glabrous diffuse herb that branches from the base, branches creeping and rooting below, then ascending. Leaves are ovate-oblong with spreading hairs. Inflorescence is a solitary, few-flowered cyme. Flowers are blue, 1 cm across, with tufts of staminal hairs. Fruit is a capsule.
Habit : Herb
Flower, Fruit : August-November
Comments : Occasional on hills amongst loose soil and rocks; less in plains and foothills.
Conservation Status : Least Concern (LC)
Distribution Locality : Throughout Eastern Ghats
World Distribution : Etiopia, Socotra, Mauritius, China, Indo-Malesia; Introduced in Caribbean Islands
Literature : J.L.Ellis, 1990- Flora of Nallamalais Vol. 2; H.O. Saxena & M. Brahmam, 1995- Flora of Orissa Vol. 3 ; R. S. Rao et al., 1986 - Flora of West Godavari District ; R. S. Rao and S. H. Sreeramulu, 1986 - Flora of Srikakulam District; H. O. Saxena and M. Brahmam, 1989 - The Flora of Similipal, Orissa; N.P.Singh, 1988. Flora of Eastern Karnataka; IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. ; Matthew, K.M., The Flora of Tamil Nadu Carnatic, Vol.3 (2). Diocesan Press, Madras. 1983.
Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Arun Singh R., Deepak Kumar, Raja K Swamy and Navendu Page (2016). Digital Flora of Eastern Ghats. http://easternghats.ces.iisc.ernet.in/plants.php?name=Cyanotis cristata. Downloaded on 22 May 2025.