cxxxv. C0MMELINACE.5;. 780 



12. Commelina albescens, flassl\ in Schweinf. Beitr. Fl. J^thiop. 

 (1867) p. 210. Eoot-fibres thick; stems thickened at the base, often 2 

 or more from the root, clothed below with many white membranous 

 sheaths, glabrous. Leaves 2-3 by \-^ in., linear or linear-lanceolate, 

 acute, glabrous, the margins often undulate. Spathes |-|- in. long and 

 sometimes nearly as broad as long, 1-3 together, subsessile, glabrous or 

 nearly so, finely striate, cucuUate, falcately hooked at one end, auricled 

 at the other. Flowers blue, the lower raceme obsolete, the upper 3-5- 

 flowered. Capsules i in. long, 3-celled, 2-valved, the dorsal cell inde- 

 hiscent, with muricate ribs. Seeds xq— i ^^- ^^^^^ rounded at the 

 ends and on the back, somewhat angular on the inner face, dull black. 

 Fl. B. I. V. 6, p. 373 ; Clarke, in DC. Monog. Plian. v. 3 (1881) p. 184 ; 

 Woodr. in Jonrn. Bomb. Nat. v. 12 (1899) p. 524. 



lu the Bombay Presidency confined to Sind. Sind: Dcd:;ell\, Stocks], Cooke \, 

 Woodrow. — DiSTRiB. Baluchistan, Arabia, Tropical Africa. 



I have not found that the seeds are spotted with yellow as noted by Mr. Clarke, 

 though I have examined a considerable number. 



Doubtful and Indeterminable Species. 



COMMELINA AVENMFOLIA, Grab. Cat. PI. Bo. (1830) p. 224. Leaves sprinkled 

 with hairs; sheaths hairy; involucre truncate. In the dense part of the jungle at 

 Khandala (Deecan), Graham. 



There are no data for the determination of this plant, of which the description is 

 very meagre. 



2. ANEILEMA, E. Br. 



Simple or branched erect or decumbent herbs ; roots usually fibrous 

 (sometimes tuberous). Leaves usually alternate, sometimes all radical, 

 occasionally clustered under the inflorescence, usually narrow and sessile 

 (rarely broad and petiolate). Flowers in axillary and terminal panicles, 

 bracteate and bracteolate ; bracts not spathaceous. Sepals 3, mem- 

 branous, free. Petals 3, obovate, equal. Stamens 2 or 3 with perfect 

 anthers and 2-4 (rarely 0) reduced to stamiuodes with imperfect anthers ; 

 filaments slender, bearded or not. Ovary sessile, 2-3-celled ; cells 1- 

 mauy-ovulate ; style slender, naked or bearded; stigma minute. Fruit 

 a locidicidal capsule. Seeds 1 or more in each cell, with a thick hard 

 rugose or pitted testa. — Distkib. Species about 60, tropical and sub- 

 tropical, chiefly Asiatic. 



Cells of the ovary 2-oo -ovulate ; seeds 1-seriate in each cell. 

 Cells of the ovary 3-oo -ovulate ; cells of the capsule 1-3- or 

 more-seeded. (See also A. nudijlorum.) 



Flowers in panicles terminating an erect leafless scape 



with large sheathing bracts ; leaves all radical 1. A. scapijlorum. 



Flowers in panicles terminating leafy stems. 



Root of slender tubers ; leaves reaching 12 in. long ; 



filaments all bearded 2. A. herhaceum. 



Root fibrous; leaves less than 3 in. long ; filaments 

 of fertile stamens bearded, of the sterile usually 

 naked. 



A procumbent herb ; stem less than 1 ft. long ; 



filamentsof sterile stamens sometimes bearded . 3. A. spira/ain. 

 An erect herb 1 ft. high ; filaments of sterile 



stamens never bearded 4. A. dimarph um, 



VOL. II. 3 F 



