﻿SPIDERWORT 
  FAMILY 
  27 
  

  

  or 
  split. 
  Flowers 
  in 
  terminal 
  cymes 
  or 
  umbels, 
  bisexual, 
  often 
  

   zygomorphic. 
  Sepals 
  3, 
  persistent, 
  foliaceous 
  or 
  colored. 
  Petals 
  

   3, 
  soon 
  falling 
  or 
  liquefying. 
  Stamens 
  6 
  or 
  fewer, 
  often 
  some 
  

   of 
  them 
  abortive. 
  Ovary 
  2-3-celled; 
  style 
  single; 
  stigma 
  

   entire 
  or 
  3-lobed. 
  Fruit 
  a 
  2-3-celled, 
  2-3-valved 
  capsule; 
  seeds 
  

   solitary 
  or 
  several 
  in 
  each 
  cell.* 
  

  

  I. 
  TRADESCANTIA 
  L. 
  

  

  Perennial, 
  stem 
  simple 
  or 
  branched. 
  Leaves 
  very 
  narrow. 
  

   Flowers 
  in 
  terminal 
  and 
  axillary 
  bracted 
  umbels, 
  actinomor- 
  

   phic, 
  1 
  in. 
  broad. 
  Sepals 
  3, 
  herbaceous. 
  Petals 
  3, 
  soon 
  fall- 
  

   ing, 
  or 
  liquefying 
  to 
  jelly. 
  Stamens 
  6, 
  sometimes 
  3 
  shorter 
  

   than 
  the 
  others 
  ; 
  filaments 
  bearded 
  or 
  smooth. 
  Ovary 
  3-celled, 
  

   with 
  2 
  ovules 
  in 
  each 
  cell 
  ; 
  pedicels 
  recurved 
  in 
  fruit. 
  Capsule 
  

   3-celled, 
  3-valved, 
  3-6-seeded.* 
  

  

  1. 
  T. 
  virginiana 
  L. 
  SPIDERWORT. 
  Stem 
  erect, 
  stout, 
  smooth, 
  or 
  

   with 
  long, 
  soft 
  hairs, 
  1-2 
  ft. 
  high. 
  Leaves 
  linear, 
  keeled, 
  often 
  

   purple-veined, 
  long, 
  taper-pointed, 
  1 
  ft. 
  or 
  more 
  in 
  length. 
  Bracts 
  

   similar 
  to 
  the 
  leaves. 
  Umbels 
  sessile, 
  2-many-flowered, 
  flowers 
  in 
  2 
  

   rows 
  in 
  the 
  bud. 
  Petals 
  blue 
  or 
  purple, 
  twice 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  sepals. 
  

   Stamens 
  blue, 
  filaments 
  densely 
  bearded. 
  Capsule 
  ovoid 
  or 
  oblong. 
  

   On 
  dry, 
  sandy 
  soil.* 
  

  

  2. 
  T. 
  pilosa 
  Lehm. 
  HAIRY 
  SPIDERWORT. 
  Stem 
  stout, 
  erect 
  or 
  

   zigzag, 
  branched, 
  with 
  long, 
  soft 
  hairs, 
  or 
  nearly 
  smooth, 
  1-2 
  ft. 
  

   high. 
  Leaves 
  linear-oblong, 
  taper-pointed 
  at 
  the 
  apex, 
  narrowed 
  at 
  

   the 
  base, 
  hairy 
  on 
  both 
  sides. 
  Umbels 
  axillary 
  and 
  terminal, 
  many- 
  

   flowered. 
  Pedicels 
  and 
  sepals 
  with 
  soft, 
  glandular 
  hairs. 
  Flowers 
  

   blue 
  or 
  purple, 
  f 
  1 
  in. 
  wide. 
  Seeds 
  pitted. 
  In 
  rich 
  soil.* 
  

  

  n. 
  COMMELINA 
  L. 
  

  

  Annual 
  or 
  perennial, 
  stem 
  branching, 
  erect 
  or 
  procumbent, 
  

   smooth 
  or 
  downy. 
  Leaves 
  petioled 
  or 
  sessile, 
  entire, 
  the 
  floral 
  

   ones 
  heart-shaped, 
  folded, 
  and 
  forming 
  a 
  spathe 
  inclosing 
  the 
  

   base 
  of 
  the 
  cymes. 
  Flowers 
  not 
  actinomorphic. 
  Sepals 
  mostly 
  

   colored, 
  1 
  of 
  them 
  smaller. 
  Petals 
  blue, 
  unequal, 
  2 
  of 
  them 
  

   kidney-shaped 
  and 
  long-clawed, 
  the 
  third 
  one 
  smaller. 
  Stamens 
  

   6, 
  only 
  3 
  of 
  them 
  fertile; 
  filaments 
  smooth. 
  Capsule 
  1-3-celled; 
  

   seeds 
  1-2 
  in 
  each 
  cell.* 
  

  

  