314 



CO MM EL YNA CEAL. 



[chap. 



inundation and near water, especially in temperate countries, 

 to which, indeed, the Rush Family is mainly confined. 

 The Type differs much in habit from other common species 

 of the same genus, in most of which the inflorescence forms 

 a small panicle, either terminating the slender cylindrical 

 stem, or apparently given off from the side of it. The 

 leaves of Rushes are often transversely divided by plates 

 of pith, so that they seem to be jointed. 



104. Natural Order, Commelynacece, — The Spiderwort 

 Family. 



Herbs. Three outer leaves of perianth herbaceous, inner 

 petaloid. Ovary superior, usually three-, sometimes two- 

 celled. 



Type — Comuielyna benghalensis. 



A branched, creeping, more or less hairy, perennial herb, 

 with sheathing leaves and hooded bracts, enclosing one 

 male and two or three hermaphrodite, bright blue flowers. 



In this Family, as in the Water Plantains, the perianth 

 consists of outer sepaloid and inner petaloid segments, as 

 is usual in Dicotyledons. In most Monocotyledons with 

 conspicuous flowers all the leaves of the perianth are 

 petaloid. 



Observe the filaments in some genera {Cya?totis^ &c.), 

 bearded {sttipose)^ with moniliform hairs, in the cells of which 



