DEEP, COOL, MOIST WOODS 403 



or entirely green, springs from the flower-stem. Rare in the 

 Eastern States. 



105. Virginia Day-flower 



CommeDna Virgfnica. — Family, Spiderwort. Color, blue. 

 Leaves, lance-shaped, 3 to 5 inches long, shorter and bract-like 

 near the top of the stem, sheathing the stem at base, the 

 sheaths fringed along the edges, those leaves near the flowers 

 forming spathes, enclosing the flowers, like hoods. Time, 

 summer and earl}' fall. 



Sepals and pefa/s, 3 of each, unequal; 3 fertile stamens and 

 3 sterile, with anthers variously shaped. Style i- and capsule 

 3-celled. Flotoer large, i inch across, showy. It lasts only 

 for a day. Stems diffusely branched, thick, fleshy, smooth, 

 spreading. 



New York, south to Florida and west to Illinois. 



106. Asiatic Day-flower 



C. commiinis is slender-stemmed with lance-shaped leaves, 

 sheathing above, spathe-like, and with bracts. Flowers in 

 umbels, deep blue, 2 petals much longer than the third, and 

 the sepals unequal. 



Southern New York to eastern Pennsylvania. Other species 

 occur in the Southern States. 



107. Spiderwort 



Tradescaniia Virginiana. — Family, Spiderwort. Color, 

 blue. Leaves, long and lance-shaped, i foot long or less, 

 channelled and clasping at base. Tijne, May to August. 



Sepals, 3, much smaller than the 3 petals. Several flowers in 

 a loose umbel terminating rather thick, fleshy stems. 



Southern New York south to Virginia and westward. 



