Commelina. triandria monogynia. 175 



sub-sessile, all of a most beautiful light blue colour. Necta- 

 ries three, erect, on the upper side opposite to the stamens. 

 Filaments three, equal, ascending. Anthers, the middle one 

 larger and sagittate. Germ ovate, (in the male flowers want- 

 ing.) Style ascending-, as long as the stamens. Stigma in- 

 curved, simple. Capsules oblong, three-celled, with one or 

 two seeds in each. 



8. C. scapijlora. R. 



Root perennial. Racemes radical, erect, with alternate, ma- 

 ny-flowered spathes. Petals equal. Leaves in a tuft, ensiform. 



Beng. K.ure\\i. 



A native of Hindoostan and introduced into the Botanic 

 garden by Colonel Ilardwicke, where it blossoms in March 

 and April, at which time the plant is destitute of leaves, 

 nothing being seen but the racemes ornamented with large 

 lively blue flowers round the apex. 



Root perennial, composed of several, smooth, elongated 

 tubers, with a few filiform radicles. Stems none, except the 

 sheathing bases of the leaves which appear a month or two 

 after the flowers; these are ensiform, waved, acute, smooth, 

 and marked with several straight veins ; length from four to 

 eight inches, breadth one. Racemes radical, erect, straight, 

 smooth, invested at each of the remote two or three joints, 

 with a small, solitary sheath ; these sheaths towards the top are 

 more approximated, each of them there embracing the inser- 

 tion of a branchlet which bears several pedicelled flowers. 

 Calyx the three leaflets thereof broad-lanceolate, and consi- 

 derably shorter than the corol. Petals equal, round, concave. 

 Nectaries alternate with the stamens, hairy. Filaments three, 

 alternate with the petals, longer than the filaments of the nec- 

 taries, and like them hairy about the middle. Anthers blue. 

 Pistil declining. Stigma minutely three-toothed. 



9. C. herbacea. R. 



Herbaceous. Stems jointed, ascending. Leaves lanceolate. 



