COMOCLADIA 163 



alt. or opp. simple 1. and no stips. ; many climbers, some twining, 

 some with hooks formed of the persistent bases of the petioles. Fls. 

 usually sessile in racemose infls., $ , reg. Typical formula: K 5, C 5, 

 A5 + 5 G i-loc. ; ov. 2 5, anatr., pend. ; style simple. There is 

 a disc on the summit of the ovary, sometimes with various outgrowths. 

 Fr. dry, i-seedecl, often winged at the angles. Seed exalb. ; coty- 

 ledons usu. twisted spirally. Chief genera : Terminalia, Combretum, 

 Quisqualis. 



Cornbretocarpus Hook. f. Rhizophoraceae. i Borneo. 

 Combretodendron A. Chevalier. Combretaceae. i trop. Afr. 

 Combretopsis K. Schum. (f.ophofyxis Hk. f.). Icac. i New Guin. 

 Combretum L. Combretaceae. 330 trop. and subtrop., exc. Austr. 

 and Polynes. The fruit of C. bittyrosum Tal. (trop. Afr.) yields a 

 butter-like substance known as Chiquito, used as butter. 

 Comesperma Labill. (Bredenieyera p.p. EP,}. Polygal. 25 Austr. 

 Cometes L. Caryophyllaceae (i. 6). 2 W. As. 

 Cometia Thou. Euphorbiaceae (A. i. i). 2 Madag. 

 Comfrey, Syniphytiini offichtale L. 



Cominsia Hemsl. Marantaceae. 2 Austr., Solomon Is. 

 Commelina L. Commelinaceae. 110 trop. C. coelestis Willd. cult, 

 orn. fl. In the fl. there is division of labour between the sta. 

 (cf. Heeria). The fl. stands horizontally and the sta. and style 

 project beyond the C. The upper 3 sta. (in many sp.) are almost 

 sterile, but the lobes are juicy. The two lat. lower sta. and the 

 median one are fully fertile. Bees often climb up and pierce the 

 upper anthers for honey. C. benghalensis L. has subterranean cleisto- 

 gamic fls. The rhizome of some sp. is edible. 



Commelinaceae (EP., BH.). Monocots. (Farinosae ; Coronarieae BH.}. 

 25 gen., 300 sp., mostly trop. and subtrop. herbs with jointed stems 

 and alt. sheathing 1. Infl. usu. a cincinnus of the Boraginaceae type. 

 Fl. $, usu. reg., commonly blue. Typical formula K 3, C 3, A 3 + 3, 

 G (3), but some sta. commonly absent or stds. K and C differ in 

 colour and texture. Ov. 3-loc., with a few orthotr. ov. in each. 

 Caps, loculic. or indeh. Endosp. fleshy; seed often arillate. Chief 

 genera: Commelina, Tradescantia. 

 Commensalism, living together for mutual benefit. 

 Commersonia Forst. Sterculiaceae. 10 trop. As., Austr. 

 Commersorchis Thou. Orchidaceae (inc. sed.). i Mascarenes. 

 Commicarpus Standley (Boerhaavia p.p.). Nyctag. 2 N. Am., W.I. 

 Commidendron Burch. Compositae (3). 5 St Helena. C. gumtni- 



fornni DC. yields a gum. 



Commiphora Jacq. (Bahamodendron Kunth). Burseraceae. 80 trop. 

 As., Afr. Several spp. yield myrrh. The resin exudes from the tree 

 and collects in lumps. It is used in medicine and in incense, &c. 

 C. opobalsamuin Engl. is said to yield the resin balm of Gilead. 

 Other sp. yield bdellium and other resins. 

 Commissure (Umbelliferae), face by which carpels cohere. 

 Common receptacle, the receptacle of all fl. on a head. 

 Communis (Lat), social, general. 



Community (Cl.), a mixture of individuals of 2 or more spp. 

 Comocladia P. Br. Anacardiaceae (3). 15 W.I., C. Am. 



II 2 



