CXXXT. COMMELTNACE.Ti:. 783 



p. 371 ; Woodr. in Joufd. Bomb. Nat. v. 12 (1899) p. 524. Heterocarpus 

 hirsutus, Wight, Icou. v. 6 (1853) p. 29, t. 2067. — Plowers : Aug.- 

 Oct. 



Belgaum, Ritchie, 751 ! 



There is in Herb. Kew. but one specimen of the plant from the Bombay Presidency 

 named by Mr. Clarke, and collected by Dr. Ritchie at Belgaum. — Distrib. India 

 (W. Peninsula). 



7. Commelina Forskalsei, Vahl, Emini. v. 2 (1806) p. 172. Stems 

 long, branched, slender, ditfiise, rooting at the nodes. Leaves 1-2 by 

 5-| in., glabrous or puberulous, narrowly oblong, obtuse or subacute, 

 narrowed at the base, the margins usually undulate or crenulate ; sheaths 

 g-| in. long, finely striate, pubescent, ciliate. Spathes | in. long and 

 about I in. wide, broadl_7 ovate, complicate or hooded, acute, sparsely 

 hairy with long slender hairs, finely striate, base usually truncate or 

 sometimes cuneate ; peduncles i-| in. long. Upper cyme-branch 1-3- 

 flowered. Petals blue, the 2 lai-ger obovate, with a very long slender 

 claw. Filaments very long, spirally coiled. Lateral cells of capsule 

 either both empty or one or both containing an orange-brown seed ; 

 dorsal cell of capsule i in. long, oblong, somewhat laterally compressed, 

 rounded at both ends, slightly ribbed, containing 1 large seed which quite 

 fills the cell. Seeds without appendages, orange-brown ; those of the 

 lateral cells subglobose and irregularly angled when only one cell contains 

 a seed, orbicular in outline, subdiscoid, compressed, when both cells are 

 seed- bearing ; the seed of the dorsal capsule ^ in. long, oblong, rounded 

 at both ends. Fl. B. I. v. 6, p. 371 ; Clarke, in DC. Monog. Phan, v. 3 

 (1881) p. 168; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 12 (1899) p. 524.— 

 Plowers : Nov. 



Deccan : Poona, Cooke !, Woodrow !, Jacquemont, 360 ! — Distrib. India (W. Penin- 

 sula) ; Tropical Africa. 



Leafless suckers bear capsules that ripen underground as in C. benghalensis. 



8. Commelina clavata, Clarice, Comm. 6f Cyrt. Benff. (1874) p. 15, 

 t. 5. Stem 1-3 ft. long, sparingly branched ; branches diffuse, as thick 

 as a crow-quill, rooting at the nodes. Leaves l|-3 by -j-| in., ovate or 

 elliptic-lanceolate, or linear-lanceolate, acuminate, glabrous, puberulous 

 or pubescent on oue or both surfaces, narrowed at the base ; sheaths 

 |-1 in. long, narrowed into the blade, glabrous or pubescent, ribbed, 

 sometimes speckled with brown, usually hirsute at the mouth. Spathes 

 |-1^ in. long, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, glabrous or pubescent, base 

 rounded or cordate ; peduncles f-lf in. long. Sepals spotted with 

 small brown linear spots. Capsules when perfect j by ^ in., quadrate- 

 oblong, truncately rounded at the ends, the tip bicuspidate, slightly 

 constricted in the middle, with 4 seeds ; sometimes the 2 upper ovules 

 alone produce seed, and the capsule is then constricted at the base, as if 

 stalked. Seeds 4 (the two lower sometimes wanting), i in. long, cylindric, 

 truncate at one end, rounded at the other, reticulately pitted. PI. B. I. 

 V. 6, p. 371 ; Clarke, in DC. Monog. Phan. v. 3 (1881) p. 171, t. 2, 

 fig. 2 : Trim. PL Ceyl. v. 4, p. 301 ; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 12 

 (1899) p. 524. 



Eare. Konkan : Matheran, Woodrow. S. M. Country: Talbot I ; Badami, Woodrow. 

 — Distrib. India (W. Peninsula) ; Oeylon, Java. 



