Commelina. A TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 475 - 
“1. C. communis. Linn. Sp. Pl. ed. Wilid. 1. 249. 
Polygamous, creeping. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, smooth ; spathes 
many flowered. Petals unequal. Anthers dissimilar. Capsules 1 trie 
coccous. F 2 ora A. 
Beng. Juta-kanshira. 
Ephemerum dipetalum. Komp. aman. p. 988, t. $89... - 
This species is common over the low moist parts of India; fow- 
ering time the rainy season chiefly. 
_ Root fibrous.— Stems numerous, creeping, I ahis, jointed; i 
round, smooth ; length very various.— Leaves alternate, sessile on 
tubular, vaginated sheaths, ovate-lanceolate, acute; margins waved ; 
smooth on both sides, with delicate, parallel veins runing length ways 
` on the under side; from two to four inches long; mouths of the - 
sheathing petioles a little ciliate.—Spathes terminal, or sub-fasicled, - 
semi-cordate, exu 
Y 
.2. c. bengalensis. Linn. Sp. Pl. ed. ‘Willa. 1. 250. 
_-Polygamous, creeping. Leaves cordate. Spathes three-flowered. 
Petals unequal. Anthers dissimilar. Capsules three-celled, six-seeded. 
Ephemerum bengalense, &c. Pluck. 1. 97. f. 3. 
Deng. Kanshira, also Kanuraka. — 
Like the last described, this species is a native of wet places : over 
Bengal, but much scarcer and smaller; flowering time the. same. 
Stems creeping, dichotomous, jointed, hairy.— Leaves iie 
peticted, cordate, nervous, a little hairy, about an inch long and three- —— 
fourth of ; an inch broad.—Petioles sheathing, bairy, aud ciliate.—  ' 
Spathes terminal, and axillary, of a shape between that of a short, in- 
verted cone and falcate ; open on the upper side only ; each contain- 
ing a common peduncle of two hermophrodite flowers, and a Idhg-pe- 
duncled male one.—Flowers small, bright blue colour. —Calya as i 
E in the furmer.—Corol three-petalled ; two of them larger, ndlosg- - 
clawed, as in the former species, the third small, and sessile, but - 
coloured, — Nectary, stamens and pistil as im C. communis, - ny 
the style i is here beautifully spiral. — Pericarp threc-celled, t three-valv- . 
ed, with generally two seeds i in each cell, - 
