120 HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Tradescaiitia, 



tremities erect, jointed, smooth. Leaves lanceolate, 

 sheathing. Mouth of the sheaths woolly. Panicles ter- 

 minal, globular, many-flowered, hairy. Flowers small, 

 blue. Ca/?/a- three-leaved, hairy. CoroZ three-petalled, 

 the superior two, large, and ovate, the third lanceolate. 

 Filaments simple, inserted round the germ, as long as the 

 petals, without hairs or swelling. 



4. T. imhricata. Corom. pi. 2. N. 108. 



Creeping. Leaves lanceolate-cordate, stem-clasping 

 and sheathing. Spikes secured, imbricated with two 

 rows of bractes. Coroh one-petalled, funnel-shaped. 



Veetla caitu. Rheed. Mai. 7. t. 58. 



Common on wet ground over most parts of India during 

 the latter part of the wet season. 



Root annual. Stems or ftrawcAes creeping, jointed, round, 

 pretty smooth, a small woolly ridge runs from joint to 

 joint, being a continuation of the fissure of the base of 

 the leaf next above ; length from one to two feet. Leaves 

 stem-clasping, sheathing, lanceolate-cordate, entire, 

 somewhat fleshy, beautifully striated ; margins woolly, 

 otherwise smooth, from two to three inches long, and 

 about one broad. Spikes terminal, solitary, sessile, re- 

 curved over the base of the last leaf, which may be call- 

 ed a common spathe, secund, imbricated with two pairs 

 of lunulate, sessile bractes, each row generally consisting 

 of from six to sixteen pair. Flowers sessile, one to 

 each bracte, opening in succession, pale blue. Calyx 

 three-parted, ciliate on the back and margins. Carol one- 

 petalled, funnel-shaped ; border of three equal divisions. 

 Filaments inserted round the base of the germ, spirally 

 twisted, and hairy. Style spirally twisted, naked. Stigma 

 pitcher-shaped. Seeds two in each cell, pitted on the back. 



Note. The corol being of one petal precludes the idea 

 of its being T. cristata. 

 There is a variety with dark blue flowers. 



