24 ELEMENTS OF BOTANY. 



cicles, sheathing at the base ; flowers axillary with conspicuous 

 bracts ; sepals distinct or nearly so, green ; petals distinct, linear, 

 recurved, greenish-yellow ; capsule linear, about 1 in. long, splitting 

 into 3 valves ; seeds on a long funiculus which at maturity splits in a 

 coma-like tuft. June-September. On living trees, more common 

 southward. The hair-like core of the stem often used as a substitute 

 for curled hair in making mattresses, cushions, etc. 



9. COMMELINACEiE. SPIDERWORT FAMILY. 



Annual or perennial herbs, with viscid or mucilaginous 

 juice ; stems somewhat succulent, jointed, leafy, simple or 

 branched; leaves simple, succulent, narrow, entire, sheathing 

 at the base, sheaths entire or split ; flowers in terminal cymes 

 or umbels, perfect, often irregular ; sepals 3, persistent, foli- 

 aceous or colored ; petals 3, fugacious or deliquescent ; stamens 

 6 or fewer, often some of them abortive ; ovary free, 2-3-celled, 

 style single, stigma entire or 3-lobed ; fruit a 2-3-celled, 2-3- 

 valved capsule ; seeds solitary or several in each cell. 



I. COMMELINA. 



Annual or perennial ; stem branching, erect or procumbent, 

 smooth or pubescent; leaves petioled or sessile, entire, the 

 floral ones cordate, folded and forming a spathe enclosing 

 the base of the cyme ; flowers irregular ; sepals mostly colored, 

 1 of them smaller ; petals blue, unequal, 2 of them reni- 

 form and long-clawed, the other smaller ; stamens 6, only 3 of 

 them fertile, filaments smooth ; capsule 1-3-celled ; seeds 1-2 

 in each cell. 



1. C. HiRTELLA Vahl. Bearded Dayflower. Stem stout, 

 erect, 2-3 ft. high ; leaves lanceolate or oblong, acuminate, rough- 

 hairy above, sheaths |-1 in. long, fringed with brown hairs ; spathes 

 numerous, sessile or short-stalked ; petals nearly alike, the odd one 

 smaller ; capsule 5-seeded ; seeds brown, smooth. August-September. 

 In moist and shaded soil. 



2. C. ViRGiNicA L. Virginia Dayflower. Stem erect, pubes- 

 cent, 1-2 ft. high ; leaves lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, 

 3-5 in. long, somewhat rough above, sheaths inflated, hairy, the 

 orifice often fringed ; spathes containing a viscid secretion ; flowers 



