Order 152.— COMMELYNACE^E. 727 



late : sheatb open, ciliato ; spatho opposite the leaves, roundish-cordate, compli- 

 cate ; ped. in pairs, 1 to 3-flowered ; petals unequal (blue), the odd one reniform ; 

 sep. (pale) the 2 lateral larger, connate below. — In wet grounds. Car. and Ga. 

 Prostrate and spreading 1 to 3f. Lvs. 3 to 5' long. Jn. — Nov. (Elliott.) 



2 C. agraria Kunth. St. procumbent, glabrous, branched ; lis. oblong or oblong- 

 ovate, obtuse, the upper short-petioled ; sheaths ciliate ; spatho opposite the leaves, 

 cordate-ovate, acuminate, complicate, 3 to 4-flowered; odd petal (blue) roundish- 

 ovate. — River banks, S. 111. to La. Sts. If or more in length. Lvs. small (15 to 

 30" long). Pis. often polygamous. Sep. palo. Two of the (blue) petals clawed. 

 (C. Cajennensis Rich.) 



3 C. Virginica L. St. assurgent, branching, subgeniculate ; lvs. lanceolate, 

 subpetiolate, sheaths split to the baso ; spathe broad-cordate, distitict and open 

 at base (except a short cohesion), enfolding 2 peduncles and several llowers ; ped- 

 icels contorted ; pet. unequal, the lower ono much smaller, unguiculate. — Dry soils 

 Middle! Southern and Western States! Plant nearly smooth, 12 — 18' high, 

 glabrous. Leaves 3 — 5' by 8 — 1-1", varying from lance-linear to lance-ovate. 

 Spathe veiny, 3 — 5-flowered. Jl., Aug. (C. angustifolia Mx.) 



4 C. hirtella Vahl. Strictly erect, tall, and conspicuously pubescent ; lvs. long- 

 lanceolate, sheaths densely rusty-bearded at the throat ; spathe subsessde, small, 

 clustered at the summit of the stem; petals subequal. — In shady woods, Va. to S. 

 Car. St. 2 to 3f high, rather thick and firm. Lvs. 5 to 8' long, both sides hairy. 

 Spathe subreniform when open, 5 ' long, glabrous, colored, base lobes cucullate, 

 slightly united. — Hardly distinct from No. 1. 



5 C. erecta L. St. erect, branched at base, ciliate-pubescent ; lvs. lanceolate, 

 subpetiolate, sheaths entire, elongated, ciliate-pilous ; spatho deltoid-falcate, united 

 and entire at baso as if peltate, about 2 -flowered; pet. nearly equal. — Rooky 

 woods, thickets, Penn. (Muhl. ) Harper's Ferry to Ga. St. simple or branched at 

 base, upright, 1 — 2f high. Leaves 3 — 5' by G — 12", usually lanceolate, pilous- 

 scabrous, the sheaths 9 to 11" long. Spatho broadly funnel-shaped. JL, Aug. 

 (C. Virginica Ph.) 



p. an'cjustifolia. Of very slender habit, with lance-linear lvs. and the spatho 

 conspicuously arcuate (hawk -bill-shape). — Southern. 



2. TRADESCAN'TIA, L. Spiderwort. (Named in honor of John 

 Tradescant, gardener to Charles I.) Flowers regular ; sepals persis- 

 tent ; petals large, suborbieular, spreading; filaments clothed with 

 jointed hairs; anthers reniform. — 2T. Fls. in terminal, close umbels, sub- 

 tended by 2 or 3 long, leafy bracts. 



* Umbels sessile, terminal and axillary, with leaf-like bracts Nos. 1, 3 



* Umbel loug-peUunculate, terminal and axillary, bractlcss No. 3 



1 T. Virginica L. St. erect, simple or branched ; lvs. lance-linear, or linear 

 channeled above, sessile, ciliate or glabrous ; fis. in a terminal, subumbellate clus- 

 ter, pedicels finally elongated and reflexed; cal. pubescent. — Moist meadows, 

 prairies, &c, Mid., W. and S. States common. Stem thick, round, jointed, 2 — 3f 

 high. Leaves numerous, 12 — 18' by 6 — 12 ", the bracts similar. Petals large, 

 suborbieular, of a deep, rich blue, soon fading. May — Aug — The juice of tha 

 plant is viscid and spins into thread ; henco the common name. 



2 T. pilosa Lehm. St. erect, smoothish, bractlets hairy ; lvs. lanceolate with a 

 . narrow base, long-acuminate, complicate, on a loose sheath, and pilous both sides, 



the floral like the rest; umbels both terminal and axillary, many-flowered, dense; 

 pedicels and sepals glandular-hairy. — Shady river banks, 111. to Ohio and La. St. 

 2f high. Lvs. 4 to 7' by 6 to 12", sheaths entire, 8 to 10'' long. Pis. in tho 

 upper axils, small, bluish purple. 



3 T. rosea Mx. St. erect, simple ; lvs. linear, glabrous, channeled, amplexicaul ; 

 ped. elongated ; cal. glabrous. — Penn. to Ga., in moist woods. Stem 8 — 12' high- 

 Leaves 6 — S' by 2 — 3'. Umbel terminal, subtended by 2 or 3 subulate bracts. 

 Pedicels nearly 1' long. Plowers much smaller than in tho preceding species. 

 Petals rose-colorod, twice longer than tho smooth calyx. May. 



