WILD FLOWERS OF NEW YORK 45 



Spider-wort Family 



Commelinaceae 

 Asiatic Dayflower 



Commelina communis Linnaeus 



Plate 6b 



A glabrous plant with dectimbent or ascending branching stems, often 

 rooting at the nodes, i to 3 feet long with numerous oblong-lanceolate 

 leaves 3 to 5 inches long and i to if inches wide, acuminate at the tips 

 and narrowed or rounded at the base, smooth and dark green, the stem 

 with white-membranous, green-veined sheaths below each leaf. Flowers 

 toward the ends of the branches or stems, each subtended by green leaflike 

 spathes about i inch long, deep blue, one-half of an inch broad or broader, 

 irregular, consisting of three sepals and three petals, two of them much 

 larger than the third; three fertile stamens, one of them incurved and 

 its anther larger than the others. In addition there are three sterile stamens. 

 Fruit a small, two-celled capsule, each cell with two seeds; seeds compressed, 

 dark brown and roughened. 



A native of Asia, commonly naturalized or adventive in southern New 

 York and southward, and occasionally appearing farther north. Sometimes 

 called " Wandering Jew." 



Spider Lily; Spiderwort 



Tradescantia virgiiiiaiia Linnaeus 



Plate 7 



A tall, smooth or slightly pubescent plant, belonging to the same 

 family as the Dayflower, often i to 3 feet tall, with long, linear or linear- 

 lanceolate, long-pointed leaves, often a foot long and one-half to i inch 

 wide, usually more or less channeled along the middle. Flowers in terminal 

 umbels or clusters on slender pedicels, one-half to 2 inches long; blue or 

 purplish, rarely white, i to 2 inches broad with three small sepals, three 

 large, obovate, similar petals, and six equal and fertile stamens. 



