COMMELINACEAE 239 
sheaths 1-2 cm. long, conspicuously ribbed: bracts 2, somewhat unequal, lanceolate, 
saccate at the base and broader than the leaves, sometimes sparingly ciliate near the base: 
sepals elliptic, slightly hooded, glandular-pilose like the pedicels: corolla deep blue or 
often red : petals orbicular-ovate, about 1.5 cm. long: mature capsule not seen. 
In valleys and along streams, Minnesota and South Dakota to Texas. Spring and summer. 
3. Tradescantia occidentalis Britton. Stems rarely solitary, slender, 3-8 dm. tall, 
often branched: leaf-blades linear, usually 2-3 dm. long, involutely folded, curved ; 
sheaths 1-4 cm. long, conspicuously ribbed, rarely with a few cilia: bracts 2, linear, 
slightly unequal: pedicels rather slender, 1-2 cm. long: sepals oblong or elliptic, appar- 
ently lanceolate from the involute edges, 8-10 mm. long, glandular-pilose: petals blue or 
reddish, rather small, about 1 cm. long, orbicular-obovate: capsules obovoid or oblong, 
5-6 mm. long, glabrous except the puberulent apex: seeds oblong, nearly 3 mm. long, 
pitted and ridged. 
On sand hills or in stony grounds, Iowa to Texas and the Rocky Mountains. Summer. 
4. Tradescantia Virginiana L. Stems usually clustered, stout or stoutish, erect, 2 
dm. or mostly 3-4 dm. tall, nearly straight, simple: leaf-blades linear or linear-lanceolate, 
1 or usually 2-7 dm. long, acuminate, more or less curved, nearly flat or involutely folded ; 
sheaths 1-3 em. long, sometimes slightly ciliate: bracts 2, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 
nearly equal or very unequal, usually much smaller than the leaves: pedicels 2.5-5 cm. 
long: sepals large, elliptic, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 12-18 mm. long, obtuse or acutish, 
villous with long non-glandular hairs, about twice as long as broad, becoming membran- 
ous: corolla dark blue or purplish or rarely white, about 3-4 em. broad: petals sub- 
orbicular, 1.4-2 cm. in diameter: capsules 5-7 mm. long, glabrous: seeds oblong, about 
3 mm. long. 
On hillsides and along streams, New York to Illinois, North Carolina and Arkansas. Spring. 
5. Tradescantia refléxa Raf. Stems often solitary, 4-9 dm. tall, nearly straight, 
commonly branched, glaucous or sometimes purplish: leaf-blades nearly linear, 2-5 dm. 
long, straight, or somewhat curved, long-attenuate, glaucous; sheaths large, 1-3 em. long, 
glabrous or rarely slightly villous: bracts 2, unequal, finally reflexed : cymes usually dense 
at maturity: pedicels slender, 2-2.5 em. long, crowded: sepals oblong or elliptic, ap- 
parently lanceolate from the involute edges, 8-10 mm. long, hooded, mostly with a tuft of 
hairs at the apex, sometimes glabrate, 3-4 times as long as broad, leathery: corolla blue, 
2-3 cm. broad: petals suborbicular: capsules ovoid or oblong, 5-6 mm. long, glabrous, 
constricted above the middle: seeds oblong, 3 mm. long, with irregular transverse ridges. 
In sandy or clay soil, in the Gulf States and from South Carolina to the Indian Territory and 
Texas; ascends the Mississippi Valley to Minnesota. Spring and summer. 
6. Tradescantia gigantéa Rose. Stems tufted, erect, 6-10.5 dm. tall, stout, some- 
what branched, glabrous and glaucous below: leaf-blades linear-oblong, 3 dm. long or 
shorter, glaucous, ciliate; sheaths glabrous: bracts of the involucre 2-3, narrowly linear 
beyond the sac-like bases, like the upper joint of the stem densely hairy with almost 
velvety pubescence: cymes with 50 or more flowers: pedicels 3-4 cm. long, softly pubescent 
but not glandular: sepals oblong-ovate to oblong-lanceolate, about 10 mm. long, acute, 
pubescent like the pedicels: corolla blue, pink or white. 
On plains or prairies, Texas. Spring. 
7. Tradescantia incarnata Small. Stems stout, 3-7 dm. tall, sometimes branched 
above: leaf-blades narrowly lanceolate to almost linear, mostly 2-5 dm. long, undulate ; 
large sheaths ciliate with glandless hairs: bracts 2, 1-2.5 cm. long, shorter than the umbel : 
pedicels glabrous : sepals oblong to ovate, 6-8 mm. long, one, at least, bearded at the apex : 
corolla bright red, about 2.5 cm. broad : petals ovate, often acutish : capsules 5-6 mm. long. 
In sandy soil, Mississippi. Spring. 
8. Tradescantia hirsuticaülis Small. Stems, like all the foliage, hirsute throughout 
with long brownish or whitish hairs, or partially glabrous above, several together, erect or 
nearly so, 3-4 dm. tall, leafy throughout, simple or nearly simple: leaf-blades narrowly 
linear, 2-3 dm. long, more or less curved, involutely folded, less densely pubescent than 
the stem ; sheaths rather pale, 1-2.5 cm. long, conspicuously ribbed : bracts 2, linear, very 
unequal, somewhat smaller than the stem-leaves : pedicels slender, 2-2.5 cm. long: sepals 
variable in the same flower, ovate or lanceolate, 9-15 mm. long, rather villous and some- 
what glandular: corolla 2.5-3 cm. broad: petals suborbicular, pink-purple or bright blue, 
broader than long and undulate : mature capsules not seen. 
In sandy places, Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Spring and early summer. 
9. Tradescantia hümilis Rose. Stems, like the rest of the foliage, scabrous-pubescent, 
finally branched at the base ; branches spreading, 3 dm. long or shorter : leaf-blades broadly 
linear or narrowly linear-lanceolate, 8-20 cm. long, deep green ; sheaths imbricated at the 
base of the stem: cymes several-flowered : bracts of the involucre 2 or rarely 1, quite sim- 
