ORDER 151. COMMELYNACE^E. 353 



/3. obttmata. Heads 5-flowered ; sepals and pod green, obtuse, mucronate. Phi a 

 y. iiiHtyniit. Panicle erect, few-flowered ; outer sepals cuspidate, inner obtuse. 



22 J. militaris Bw. Bayonet E. Stem stout, 2 3f, Hearing a single terete leaf neat 

 the middle, which overtops the panicle ; heads 5-15-flowered ; sepals brownish, acute, 

 as long as the acuminate capsule. Bogs, coastward, N. Eng. 10 Del. 



23 J. iiodosus L. Stem slender. 2- or 3-lvd. ; Ivs. slender, the upper (bracts) overtop 

 ping the cluster ; heads few (1 9), approximate, 5-50-flowered ; sepals brown, lance- 

 eubulate, shorter than the beaked capsule. Wet sands, Can. to Car. 



. tntg-actphalu*. Stout, 3f, upper leaf and bract exceeding the simple cluster ; 

 heads 50-80-flowered, green ; outer sepals subulate-awned, as long as the pod. 



24 J. acuminatus MX. Stems 2- or 3-leaved ; hds. 3-1 5-flowered, in a loose spread- 

 ing panicle exceeding the bract ; sepals lance-subulate, nearly equalling the short- 

 pointed brown pod ; seeds minute, acute at both ends. May, June. 



/3. dtbili*. Slender or stout ; hds. 3-7-flwd. ; pod exserted. N. J., Ky., and S. 9'-3f. 

 y. Itsritfmu*. Heads 8-15-flowered ; pods scarcely exgerted. V- Pondii C-B.) 



25 J. Klliottii Chapm. Stem, leaves, and panicle very erect, 1 2f ; hds. 5-8-flwd.. fls. 

 1" ; sepals lanceolate, as long as the turgid-ovoid, blackish pod ; seeds acute. April. 



26 J. forachyearpus Eng. Strict, rigid, 1J 2|f ; leaves 2 3 ; bract short ; hds. round, 

 dense, 50-flwd., pale, few ('210) ; 3 outer sepals awned, much longer than pod. W. 



/3. ? Wolfii. Pan. spreading ; pod ovoid, blunt, little shorter than the sep. 111. (Wolf). 



27 J. scirpoides Lam. Rigid, 2f ; heads and bract as in the last ; style usually ex- 

 serted ; sepals pungent-awned, equalling the taper-pointed pod. N. Y. to Ga. 



ft. poli/ctphalus. Stout, 3f ; heads 60-90-flwd., brownish, distant ; Ivs. flattened. 



ORDER CLI. COMMELYNACE^E. SPIDERWORTS. 



Herbs with flat, narrow leaves, sheathing at base. Sepals 3, green, petals 

 3, colored. Stamens 6, some of them usually deformed or abortive. Styles 

 and stigmas united into one. Capsule 2- or 3-valved. Seeds 3 or more. 



Flowers irregular, clustered in a spathe-like, cordate, floral leaf COMMELYNA. 1 



Flowers regular, clustered. Floral leaves like the rest. Stamens 6 TRADESCANTIA. 2 



Flowers regular, solitary, axillary. StamensS. Moss-like herbs MAYACA. 3 



1. COMMELYNA, Dill. Fls. irregular, 3 of the stamens sterile, with 

 glands for anthers. Caps. 3-celled, one of the cells abortive or 1-seeded. 

 Leaves contracted to the sheathing base. Floral leaf or spathe erect in 

 flower, recurved before and after. Petals blue, open but a few hours. 



1 C. communis L. Procumbent and much branched ; Ivs. lance-ovate, rounded at 



base ; spathe lateral, 2-6-flowered ; odd petal reniform. Wet soils, S. June Nov. 



2 C. Cayennensis Rich. Procumbent, glabrous, with small (1J 2*0 ovate-oblong, 



obtuse leaves ; epathe lateral, 3^1-flowered ; odd petal round-ovate. Banks, HI. to La. 



3 C. Virginica L. Stem weak, ascending; Ivs. lanceolate to linear; spathe broad- 



cordate when open ; odd petal very email, raised on a claw. Dry. M., S., W. Jl., Aug 



4 C. erecta L. Erect, pubescent, sheaths hairy ; leaves lanceolate; spathe hawk-bill 



shaped, its base-lobes united ; petals nearly equal. Woods, Pa., W. and S. Jl., Aug 



2. TRADESCANTIA, L. SPIDERWORT. Fls. regular. Sep. persistent, 

 pet. large, roundish, spreading. Fil. clothed with jointed hairs, anth. reni- 

 form. Caps. 3-celled. if Fls. in terminal, close umbels. Juice viscid. 



1 T. Virfifiiiiea L. Umbels sessile, terminal and axillary, with leafy bracts ; ped. soon 

 reflexed ; flowers ephemeral, of a rich deep blue ; leaves linear, channelled ; stem 

 thick, jointed, 2 3f. Damp. M., S., W Cultivated. 



