Bush — The Texas Tradescantias. 193 



17. Tradescantia diffusa Bush sp. nov. 



Stems diffusely brauched, spreading, slender, 1-2 dm. long, 

 bearing one or two leaves, roughish-pubescent and glandular 

 throughout; leaf blades linear, 1-2 dm. long, 5-10 mm. wide, 

 minutely pubescent above, long-hairy beneath, filiate on the 

 margins, flat, or a little curved, conduplicate. Sheaths very 

 short, minutely pubescent, ciliate on the margins; bracts of 

 the involucre 2, nearly equal, as long as, or longer than the 

 leaves, and resembling them, somewhat saccate at the bases, 

 cymes 5- to 10-flowered; pedicels 2-4 cm. long, slender, 

 softly pubescent with gland-tipped hairs ; sepals linear-lance- 

 olate, obtuse, 4-6 mm, long, densely softly pubescent with 

 gland-tipped hairs, and with a tuft of long simple white hairs 

 at each apex; corolla very small, purple, blue or rose-col- 

 ored. — Rocky ground. Southern Texas. Spring. 



Specimens examined : Texas: The only specimens seen are 

 those of the type, collected at San Antonio, by E . H. Wilkin- 

 son 1<)8, March 14, year not given (M). 



18. Thadescantia mickantha Torr. 



Tradescantia micranthaloTV. Bot. Mex. Bound. 224. (1859). 



This i-emai'kable s{)ecies is \evy distinct from all the other 

 species ia its creeping stems, short, wide, flat leaves and very 

 snuiil flowers. — Sandy soil. Southern Texas. Spring. 



Specimens examined: Corpus Christi Bay, Nueces County, 

 ^e//er 1564, April 9-12, 1894 (N). 



Issued December 30, 1904. 



