143. COMMELINACE.E. [1. Commelina. 



hiscent or the 2 anticous cells empty connate indehiscent and formincr 

 a persistent ligulate body from which the posticous cell falls away! 

 ^eeds ellipsoid or angled, reticulate smooth pitted or rugose, 

 ^f TJf ^"^Y^ ^^^^ capsule show a tendency to the more or less complete abortion 

 a generWaTe of'tt.T^Th ^7^? (^lie fact that the cell never contaFns I JvSes S 

 fn^TifLoM^i *^"^^V ^^® division into sections based on this tendency appears 

 i^^LTJ^H^^^^ ^"^ *° separate widely closely allied species so that I have not 

 adhered to the usual grouping of the species. y ^^ tii*t x ndve uoc 



I. Spathes complicate with dorsal margins free to the base •— 



A. heeds reticulate, rugose inside the reticulations 



Ovules 5. Capsule usually 5-seeded: — 

 li. oyate-Ianc. to lane. Spathes ovate cordate -75- 



B. Seeds smooth, often Mith a hoary bloom. Ovules' ^' '"'^*-^^'"*- 



5—4 : — 



1. Capsule 3-celled (sometimes 2-celled in salicifoUa):— 

 L. hnear or linear-lanceolate 3-6" by -17- -5", 



Spathe lanceolate, usually acuminate. Seeds 

 appendiciUate .... 2 salicifolia 



L. lanceolate or oblong-lanc, 1-5-2-5'' Seeds 



muticOUS 4 lJfi<i^IrnrJii 



2. Capsule 2-1-celled. Ovules 2 in each cell :— ' ^«^«*«'-'"- 

 L. hnear 1-5-3". Spathes lanceolate acuminate, 



Q n.^^^^T Y^^^^^\ Seeds or seed appendiculate . 3. attenuata. 

 TT c .; Ovule 1 m each cell. Capsule 2-3-celled . anDemlimlntn 



n. Spathes funnel-shaped or witb the margins connate «^^^"^^"*^f« 

 nearly to the top, never acuminate :— ^^' '^'' 



A. Ovules 5. Capsule 3-celled, 2 cells usually 2-seeded •— 



L. ovate 1-3". Spathes 1-3 together . . '. 5. benqJialensis 



B. Ovules 3-2. CapsiUe 3-2-celled. Stout species with ^- ''^"^««'^»'-**- 



spathes crowded to subsolitary : — 

 Spathe -75". Cap. 3-celled, dorsal scabrid. Seed 



white-margined ... a jz,,.?;,- 



Spathe -75-1 -5". Cap. 3- (rarely 2-) celled.' Seed 



grey smooth compressed ... 7 obliaua 



bpathe • 3- • 7" . Cap. 2-celled. Seeds with large pits .' 8.' su/ruti'cosa. 



1. C. nudiflora, L. Syn. C. communis, Clarke, in Comm. & Cyrt. Tab. 1. 

 A rather succulent creeping herb with sheathing lanceolate leaves' 

 L-6 long, usually glabrous with hairy sheaths -o-- 75" long. Flowers 

 blue considerably exserted from the conduplicate spathe, in 2-forked 

 cymes, the upper branch often with 2 barren flowers, the lower with 

 usually 3 fertile flowers all retracted into the spathe after fertilization 

 Capsule 3-celled, 2 cells 2-seeded, 1 cell 1-seeded keeled deciduous 

 teeeds rugose-reticulate, the rims of the reticulations subhexacronal 

 continuous, the depressions minutely granular. ° 



Common in damp grassy places. Singbhum ! Probably in all districts at 

 Aug -Oct "'''"" ''^ ''''''• ^''* ^'^'^ P^^'^y represented in herbaria Fl.!' Fr! 



Rooting at the nodes. L. sometimes only -8" and ovate-lanceolate sometimes 

 scabrous or puberulous (Clarke) and ciliate. Spathes • 75-2" long ovkte^oStl 

 <when unfolded) or base rounded, tip sometimes acuminate. PedlScIe of spathe 

 / • , ^®- ^oout -5 diam. Sepals green. 2 anterior larger Petal's hinA 

 Snd°"oKl'1,s"7peTat ol^."''''"^"'^ "^"^ '^»"*- ^^ 'SS!i-cyISS^rS^ 

 2. C. salicifolia, Roxb. 



Stems diffuse with long branches and internodes and leaves linear- 

 lanceolate or almost grass-like, 3-6" by • 17-5", glabrous or nearly so, 

 sheaths ciholate. Flowers of a most intense blue, smaller than -in 



69 



1075 



