410 COXXXVII. COMMELYNES. 
elongate; stigma subcapitellate. Capsule shortly stipitate, 
compressed, didymous, 2-celled, 2-valved. Seeds solitary.— 
Kunth, l.c. p. 76. 
Herbs, often viscidly pubescent, creeping at base; branches simple, erect. 
Panicles terminal, simple or branched, bracteate. Flowers pedicelled, sub- 
racemose, unilateral, small.—1 or more Cape species, at Natal. D. Capensis 
is the only one mentioned by Kunth. 
4. CYANOTIS, Don. 
Flowers subregular. Outer perianth-segments connate at 
base, navicular, subequal, persistent ; inner longer, their 
claws connate in a tube, caducous. Stamens 6, subequal, 
hypogynous ; filaments very long, bearded near the top; an- 
thers similar. Ovary sessile, 3-celled; style 1, thickened up- 
wards ; stigma hollow. Capsule 3-celled, 3-valved. Seeds 2 
in each cell.—<Kunth, l.e. p. 102. 
Annuals or perennials, mostly diffuse. Flowers blue, on longish, axillary 
or terminal peduncles, crowded, involucred by a folded, spathe-like, cordate 
bract.— C. nodiflora (Tradescantia speciosa, Linn.) is common through the 
colony, especially in the East. 
Orper CXXXVIII. XYRIDEA. 
Perianth 6-parted, in 2 rows; outer glumaceous; inner 
petaloid, its pieces with long claws. Stamens 6, 3 fertile in- 
serted on the apex of the claw of the petaloid segments of 
perianth ; anthers opening outwards. Ovary single, 1-celled ; 
ovules numerous, on 3 parietal placentas ; style 3-fid; stigmas 
multifid or undivided. Capsule 1-celled, 3-valved. Seeds 
numerous ; embryo on the outside of floury albumen.—Rush- 
like plants, with radical leaves, and densely spiked, yellow 
flowers, borne on leafless stems. 
1.. XYRIS, Linn. 
Flowers densely spiked, each from the axil of a rigid, scaly 
bract. Perianth double, each of 3 pieces ; outer segments un- 
equal, the 2 lateral keeled, glumaceous, persistent, the anticous 
thinner and much larger, coloured, in the bud enfolding the 
inner, and falling on the opening of the flower; inner seg- 
ments petaloid, on long claws, equal ; claws free, but cohering 
at the apex with the staminodia; limbs widely spreading, each 
bearing a fertile stamen at its base. Staminodia alternating 
with the fertile stamens, hypogynous, free, filiform, 2-fid at 
the apex, and cohering with the lamine of the inner segments, 
the lobes plumose. Style 3-fid; stigmas obtuse. Capsule 
membranous, many-seeded.— Aunth, Enum. v. p. 2. 
