broadly trapezoid; ovary ovoid, glandular-puberulent; capsules obovoid-trigonal, 

 8-10 mm. long; seeds 3-4 mm. long, roughly compressed-oblongoid, the linear 

 funicular scar about as long as the seed. 



Rich woods and along moist alluvial terraces and ravines, s.-cen. Tex., Feb— 

 May; endemic. 



2. Tradescantia ohioensis Raf. 



Roots relatively slender, somewhat fleshy, irregularly pilose to glabrate; stems 

 erect or ascending, straight or slightly flexuose, glabrous, glaucous and subsuccu- 

 lent; nodes 3 to 8; internodes to 18 cm. long; leaves firmly membranaceous, 

 glaucous, linear-lanceolate, long-acuminate, to 45 cm. long and 45 mm. broad, 

 glabrous or infrequently more or less pilose at the sheath; sheath rather turgid and 

 inflated, to 4 cm. long and 45 mm. broad; cymes umbellate, few- to many-flowered, 

 terminal, solitary, frequently accompanied at the upper nodes by lateral peduncu- 

 late inflorescences; bracts foliaceous, glaucous, glabrous or minutely barbate at 

 the tips, to 25 cm. long and 22 mm. broad, sharply reflexed or divaricate; pedicels 

 to 25 mm. long, glabrous, more or less reflexed and somewhat accrescent in fruit; 

 sepals elliptic, acute to acuminate, to 15 mm. long, glaucous, infrequently some- 

 what suffused wtih rose or purple, glabrous or more or less eglandular-barbate at 

 the tips; petals broadly ovate, to 2 cm. long, blue to rose or magenta, rarely 

 white; filaments abundantly pilose, the connective broadly trapezoid; ovary ovoid, 

 glabrous or with a tuft of weak eglandular hairs at the base of the style; capsules 

 obovoid-trigonal, 4-6 mm. long; seeds roughly compressed-oblongoid, 2-3 mm. 

 long, the linear funicular scar about as long as the seed. T. canaliculata Raf., T. 

 reflexa Raf. 



In wet meadows, prairies and thickets, less frequently in woods, commonly 

 spreading to roadsides and railroad right-of-ways in e. Okla. (Ottawa Co.) and e. 

 two thirds of Tex., Feb.-May; from s. N.E. to Fla., and w. to Minn, and Tex. 



The most common and widespread species in the U. S. where it is frequently 

 cultivated and escapes to become naturalized. 



3. Tradescantia Wrightii Rose & Bush. 



Roots relatively slender, somewhat fleshy, irregularly and inconspicuously pilose 

 to glabrate; stems erect or ascending, straight, simple, glabrous, glaucous or 

 glaucescent, somewhat subsucculent; nodes 1 to 3; internodes to 15 cm. long; 

 leaves firmly membranaceous or somewhat subsucculent, glabrous, glaucous or 

 glaucescent, linear-lanceolate, long-acuminate, to 1 dm. long and 2-5 mm. broad, 

 spreading or ascending; sheath 1-2 cm. long, to 1 cm. broad; cymes umbellate, 

 few- to several-flowered, terminal, solitary; bracts foliaceous, glabrous, glaucous 

 or glaucescent, spreading or ascending, to 7 cm. long, 3-6 mm. broad; pedicels 

 12-17 mm. long, glabrous or rarely with a very few glandular hairs, reflexed and 

 somewhat accrescent in fruit; sepals elliptic, acute to acuminate, 5-6 mm. long, 

 glaucous or glaucescent, glabrous or rarely with a few glandular hairs at the base; 

 petals broadly ovate, about 1 cm. long, rose to magenta and purple; filaments 

 abundantly pilose, the connective broadly trapezoid; ovary ovoid, glabrous or 

 rarely with a very few glandular hairs at the base of the style; capsules obovoid- 

 trigonal, 3—4 mm. long; seeds broadly compressed-oblongoid to oblongoid-trigonal, 

 about 2 mm. long, the linear funicular scar much shorter than the seed. 



On moist canyon stream banks in Trans-Pecos Tex., May-Sept.; endemic. 



Fam. 33. Pontederiaceae H. B. K. Pickerel-weed Family 



Perennial aquatic or bog plants with floating or creeping rootstocks and 

 sheathing leaves; leaves alternate, straplike or differentiated into petiole and blade; 



597 



