Tab. 5471. 

 CYANOTIS NODIFLORA. 



Nodose-foioered Cyanotis. 



Nat. Ord. Commelyne^e. — Hexandria Monogynia. 



Gen. Char. Mores subregulares. Sepala 6 ; exteriora subasqualia, navicularia, 

 basi connata, persisteutia ; interiora longiora, petaloidea, per ungues connata 

 (calyx interior infundibularis, limbo trifido), caduca. Stamina 6, subsequalia, 

 subhypogyna, vix basi tubi adlvderentia ; filamerda longissima, apicem versus bar- 

 bata. Antherce conformes, biloculares ; locidis parallelis, contiguis (divaricatis, 

 connexivum marginantibus, Endl.). Ovarium sessile, triloculare; ovulis in 

 singulo loculo geminis, superpositis (collateralibus, Br. Endl.), sessilibus, supe- 

 riore adscendente, inferiore descendente. Stylus 1, apice iucrassatus (Endl.). 

 Stigma excavatum (Endl., tubulosum, Bon). Capsula trigona, triloeularis, mem- 

 branacea, trivalvis ; valvis medio septiferis. Semina bina, superposita, angulata. 

 — HerbcD annua vel perennes, plerumque diffusa ei repentes. Folia integra, basi 

 vaginantia ; vagina integra. Flores in pedunculis longiusculis axillaribus et ter- 

 minalibus spicato-congesti, folio spathaceo cordato-complicato invo/ucrati, singuli 

 extus unibracteati ; bracteis falcatis, bifariam imbricatis ; interdum flores in axil* 

 lis foliorum per geminos ternos vel plures conglomerate bracteis interslincti. 

 Calyx interior caruleus vel purpureis. Ktk. 



Cyanotts nodijlora ; caulibus erectis simplicibus vel subramosis, superne sub- 

 flexuosis ; foliis lanceolatis acutis supra pilosiusculis, subtus vaginisque vil- 

 loso-pilosis, superioribus gradatim minoribus, spathseformibus ; floribus in 

 axillis foliorum floralium spicato-conglomeratis, subsessilibus, singulis extus 

 bracteatis, bracteis e basi lata lanceolatis, floribus purpureo-violaceis, sta- 

 minibus longe exsertis, villosissimis. 



Cyanotis nodifiora. Kth. Enum. Plant, v. 4. p. 106. 



Tradescantia nodifiora. Lain. Encycl. v. 2. p. 371. Poir. Encycl. Suppl. v. 2. 

 p. 372. Pcem. et Sch. Syst. Veget. v. l.p. 1157. 



Commelina speciosa. Thunb. II. Cap. p. 294. 



Tradescantia formosa, Willd. Sp. PI. v. 2. p. 20. 



A pretty Commelynaceous plant from South Africa, long 

 known in herbaria, but recently introduced into our conserva- 

 tories by William Wilson Saunders, Esq., through his collector, 

 Mr. Cooper. The genus has been separated from Tradescantia 

 by Don, and adopted by Endlicher and Kunth; and embraces 

 two groups, of which one is represented by the T. cristata of 



OCTOBER 1st, 1864. 



