COMMELINACEAE 239 



sheaths 1-2 em. long, conspicuously rilibcd: bracts 2, somewliat unequal, lanceolate, 

 saccate at the base and broader than the leaves^ sometimes sparingly ciliate near the 

 base: sepals elliptic, slightly hooded, glandular-pilose like the pedicels: corolla deep 

 blue or often red: petals orbicular-ovate, about 1.5 em. long: mature capsule not seen. 

 In valleys and along streams, Minnesota and South Dakota to Texas. Spring and summer. 



3. Tradescantia occidentalis Britton. Stems rarely solitary, slender, 3-8 dm. tall, 

 often branched: leaf -blades linear, usually 2-3 dm. long, involutely folded, curved; 

 sheaths 1-4 cm. long, conspicuously ribbed, rarely with a few cilia: bracts 2, linear, 

 slightly unequal: pedicels rather slender, 1-2 cm. long: sepals oblong or elliptic, ap- 

 parently lanceolate fi-om the involute edges, 8-10 mm. long, glandular-pilose : petals 

 blue or reddish, rather small, about 1 em. long, orbicular-obovate : capsules obovoid or 

 oblong, 5-6 mm. long, glabrous except the puberulent apex : seeds oblong, nearly 3 mm. 

 long,"pitted and rdd^edi 



Oh satid hills or in stony grounds, Iowa to Texas and the Rocky Mountains. Summer. 



4. Tradescantia Virginiana L. Stems usually clustered, stout or stoutish, erect, 

 2 dm. or mostly 3-4 dm. tall, nearly straight, simple: leaf -blades linear or linear-lan- 

 ceolate, 1 of usually 2-7 dm. long, acuminate, more or less curved, nearly flat or invo- 

 lutely folded ;'SlieHths 1-3 cm. long, sometimes slightly ciliate: bracts 2, lanceolate or 

 liftear-lanCeola'te, nearly equal or very unequal, usually much smaller than the leaves: 

 pedicels 2.5-5 cm. long: sepals large, elliptic, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 12-18 mm. 

 long, obtuse or acutish, villous with long non-glandular hairs, about twice as long as 

 broad, becoming membranous: corolla dark blue or purplish or rarel_y Avhite, about 3-4 

 cm. broad: petals suborbicular, 1.4-2 cm. in diameter: capsules 5-7 mm. long, gla- 

 brous: seeds oblong, about 3 mm. long. 



On hillsides and along streams; New Yotk to Illinois, North Carolina and Arkansas. Spring. 



5. Tradescantia reflexa Raf: Stems often solitary, 4-9 dm. tall, nearly straight, 

 commonly branched, glaucous or sometimes purplish: leaf -blades nearly lincai*, 2-5 dm. 

 long,- straight,; or somewhat curved, long-attenuate, glaucous; sheaths large, 1-3 cm. 

 long, glabrous or rarely slightly villous: bracts 2,'Unequal, iinally reflexed: cymes usu- 

 ally dense at maturity: pedicels slender, 2—2.5 cm. long, crowded: sepals oblong or el- 

 liptic, apparently lanceolate from the involute edges, 8^10 mm. long, hooded, mostly 

 with a tuft of hairs at the apex,~sometimes glabrate, 3-4 times as long as broad, 

 leathery: corolla blue, 2-3 cm. broad: petals sulwrbicular : capsules ovoid or oblong, 5-6 

 mm. long, glabrous, constricted above the middle: seeds oblong, 3 mm. long, with ir- 

 regular transverse ridges. 



In sand.y or claj- soil, in the Gulf States and from South Carolina to the Indian Territory and Texas 

 ascends the Mississippi Valley to Minnesota. Spring and summer. 



6. Tradescantia gigantea Rose. Stems tufted, erect, 6-10.5 dm. tall, stout, some- 

 what branched, glabrous and glaucous below: leaf -blades linear-oblong, 3 dm. long or 

 shorter, glaucous, ciliate; sheaths glabrous: bracts of the involucre 2-3, narrowly linear 

 beyond the sac-like bases, like the upper joint of the stem densely hairy with almost 

 velvety pubescence : cymes with .5'0 or more flowers : pedicels 3-4 cm. long, softly 

 pubescent but not glandular: sepals oblong-ovate to oblong-lanceolate, about 10 mm. 

 long, acute, pubescent like the pedicels: corolla blue, pink or white. 



On plains or prairies, Texas. Spring. 



7. Tradescantia i'nc'amata Small. Stems stout, 3-7 dm. tall, sometimes branched 

 above: leaf -blades narrowly lanceolate to almost linear, mostly 2^5 dm. long, undulate; 

 lai'ge sheaths ciliate with glandless hairs: bracts 2, l-2:.5 cm. long, shorter than the umbel: 

 pedicels glabrous: Sepals Oblong to ovate, 6-8 mm. long, one, at least, bearded at thf> 

 apex: corolla bright red, about 2.5 cm. broad: petals ovate^ often acutish: capsules 5-6 

 mm. long. ' " 



In sanTdV soil, M'ississippi. Spring. 



' 8. Tradescantia hirsuticaulis Sn'iall. Stems, like all the foliage, hirsute through- 

 out with long brownish or whitish hairs, or partially glabrous above, several together, 

 erect or nearly so, 3-4 dm. tall, leafy throughout, simple or nearly simple: leaf-blades 

 narrowly linear, 2-3 dm. long, more or less curved, involutely folded, less densely pubes- 

 cent' than the stem; sheaths rather pale, 1-2.5 cm. long, conspicuously ribbed: bracts 2, 

 littt-ai^A-ery uneqifal; s^me^vhat smaller than the stem-leaves : pedicels slender, 2-2.5 cm. 

 lon'gf sepals variable in the same flower, ovate or lanceolate, 9-15 mm. long, rather 

 villous and'sonlewhkt glandular: corolla 2.5-3 cm. broad: petals suborbicular, pink- 

 purple or bright blue, broader than long and undulate : mature capsules not seen. 

 In sandy places, Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Spring and early summer. 

 9. Tradescantia humUis Rose. Stems, like the rest of the foliage, sca,brous-pubes- 

 cent, finally branched at the base ; branches spreading, 3 dm. long or shorter : leaf - 

 blades broadly linear or narrowly linear-lanceolate, 8-20 cm. long, deep green; sheaths 

 imbricated at the base of the strin: cvmes several-flowered: bracts of the involucre 2 or 



