44 CXLIII, COMMELINACE& (CLARKE). [ Commelina. 
C. communis, Baker in Trans. Linn. Soc. xxix. 163. C. sambesiaca, K, 
Schum. in Engl. Pfl. Ost-Afr. C. 135. Commelina sp, n. 1, T. Thoms. 
in Speke, Nile, Append. 650. 
Mozamb. Dist. Zanzibar, Speke §& Grant! German East Africa : Rovuama, 
River, Kirk! Portuguese East Africa: Lower Zambesi ; opposite Sena, Kirk / 
banks of the River Shire, near Morambala Mountain, Kirk! Shupanga, Kirk ! 
Zambesi Delta; mouth of the Kongoni River, Kirk! British Central Africa: 
Nyasaland; Plains of Zomba, 2500-3500 ft., Whyte! Lake Nyasa, Simons ! 
The leaves are used as spinach according to Speke & Grant. 
20. CG. boissieriana, (. B. Clarke in DC. Monogr. Phan. iii. 161. 
Nearly glabrous. Leaves 3} by } in., lanceolate, sessile. Peduncles 
scattered,exserted } in. from the leaf-sheaths. Spathes 1 in. long, broadly 
ovate, acute, thinly hairy, margins connate at the base. Petals blue. 
Capsule } in. long, broadly oblong, obtuse, soon 3-valved; seed of the 
dorsal valve smooth; seeds of the ventral cells unknown.—Schweinf. in 
Bull. Instit. Egypt. 1887, 329 (36 in reprint); Aschers. & Schweinf. nm 
Mém. Instit. Egypt. ii. 776 (154 in reprint); Durand & Schinz, Con- 
spect. Fl. Afr. v. 424; Schweinf. in Bull. Herb. Boiss. ii. Append. ii. 53. 
Nile Land. Eritrea: Geleb, 5000 ft., Schweinfurth, 117. Ginda, 3300 ft., 
Schweinfurth, 437. Keren, Steudner, 1481, 1483. Abyssinia, Gaillardet, 297 ! 
Also in Extratropical Egypt. 
This species was founded on Gaillardet, 297, in which the capsule was imperfect ; 
and it is very possibly the same plant as C. Schinzii described below. 
21. C. Porskaleei, Vahi, Enum. ii. 172. Glabrous, grey-puberu- 
lous or pubescent. Stems 8-24 in. long, much branched, weak rooting 
from the lower nodes. Leaves up to 2 by # in., oblong or scarcely elliptic, 
tips usually obtuse, never acuminate, margins often wavy. Peduncles 
scattered, exserted 4-4 in. from the leaf-sheaths. Spathes attaining $—% 
in. long, obliquely funnel-shaped, glabrate or sparsely hispid. Petals 
blue. Capsule small, 3—1-seeded ; dorsal cell scabrous, subindehiscent, 
1—seeded ; ventral cells of the ovary 2-ovuled, 0—1-seeded ; seeds of the 
ventral cells small, subglobose, smooth.—Kunth, Enum. iv. 49; Benth. 
in Hook. Niger Fl. 542 in obs.; Hassk. in Schweinf. Beitr. Fl. Aethiop. 
208, 295; C. B. Clarke in DC. Monogr. Phan. iii. 168 incl. all vars. ; 
Durand & Schinz, Conspect. Fl. Afr. v.425; Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. vi. 371; 
Schweinf. in Bull. Herb. Boiss. ii. Append. ii. 56; K. Schum. in Engl. 
Pf. Ost-Afr. C. 135; Rendle in Journ. Linn. Soc. xxx. 430, and in Cat. 
Afr. Pl. Welw.77. C. falcata, Hassk. in Peters, Reise Mozamb. Bot. 527. 
C. Kotschyi, K. Schum. in Eng]. Pfl. Ost-Afr. C. 135, not of Hassk. 
Upper Guinea. Cape Verd Isles, Cardoso, 253! Senegal, Roger, 93! Perrottet, 
766! Senegambia, Heudelot, 276! Leprieur ! Bornu, Vogel, 67! Niger Territory : 
Nupe, Barter, 1477! 
Nile Land. Nubia: Wady Erkowit, near Suakin, Schweinfurth, 286! coast 
to between 3000 and 4000 ft., Bent! Kordofan: Bir Sodari, Pfund, 188! Gebel 
Kurbag, Pfund, 357! 795! Obeyad, Pfund, 367! on plains, Kotschy, 34! Arashkol 
Mountain, Kofschy, 105! Eritrea: Mount Ghedem, near Massowa, Schweinfurth Sf 
Riva, 113! Otoumbo, near Massowa, Schweinfurth § Riva, 196! near Saati, 
Schweinfurth § Riva, 338! Gulabat: region of Matamma, Schweinfurth, 532! 
