28 / TRIANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 
is also a single species described as African, and another 
discovered by Loureiro in Cochinchina. The genus now 
consists of 23 species. Most of them produce blue flowers; 
the North American’ species of a bright azure, but €x- — 
tremely evanescent. It is said that the Japanese possess 
a method of extracting the colour from the flowers of 
Commelina. 
"39, SYENA. Willd. Mavaca. <lublet. 
Calix deeply 3-parted, acute, persistent. Pe- 
| tals 3, roundish. Anthers oblong, 2-celled. Stig- 
| ma trifid. Capsule acuminated with the style, 
{ i-celled, 3-valved. 
leaves alternate, crowded, linear, subulate, (somewhat 
j 3-nerved, Aurnver.); flowers solitary, axillary and re- 
4 mote, the peduncle bending downwards after flowering, 
{pedicell bibracteate, AuBL.) In the Syena, as it appears 
in the United States, the stem is bi-fistulous (for floating ) 
as in the Calitriche, the leaves each with a single nerves 
the peduncles without bractes, but furnished at the base 
with a single valved scariose spatha; filament and an- 
ther united, the latter upbor ay shores 2-collede eS we 
the pollen by 2 terminal obli: pores; style si ig 
ma eos 4 rsistent; Sayente tblonig-ovate, l-celled, 3. 
valved; se 9, attached by 3s to the centre of each 
valve, spherical, acute at one of the ends, longitudinally 
traversed by elevated scabrous lines, of a hard and brit- 
tle consistence, and a dark brown colour. 
oo This is probably distinct from Aublet’s plant. Existing 
as far to the North as Virginia, , 
40. LEPTANTHUS. Michaux. 
‘Spatha 1 to 4-flowered. Corolla, tube long 
and slender; border 6-parted. Stamina seat- 
ed upon the segmerits of the corolla. Anthers 
linear, or of 2 different forms, the other trian- 
a ee gular. Capsule inclosed in the spatha, and in- 
__- vested with the marcesent tube of the corolla, 
_ S-celled, many-seeded, opening at the angles; 
age dissepiment contrary. se 
: Aquatic herbs, nearl 
A small sub-aquatic, repent herb, resembling moss; the 
early allied to th Pentedinias 
having alternate jeaves with a sheathing base. Flowers 
nase 
ice 
ae 
