1. CoMMELiNA.] 143. COMMELINACEM. 



nudiflora, 1-2 on the cjane branches, which are usually considerably 

 exserted. Spathe complicate lanceolate, axillary solitary, often 

 acuminate. Seeds smooth black Avith a white bloom, 2 anticous cells 

 of capsule 2-seeded and posticous usuall}' 1-seeded as in nudiflora but 

 third cell sometimes obsolete. 



Wet or watery places, frequent. .Talpaiguri (and probably PiuTieah) ! Bengal, 

 many times collected. Chota Kagpm-, Clarke. Parasnath, Cal. Herb. ! Also 

 Kortberu Madras, so that it probably extends tluoughout the province. 



L. sessile on their cylindrical sheaths, a little liispid on the upper side and 

 margins (Eoab.). Petals equal except that the lower has a shorter claw. Capsule 

 oblong, shortly suddenly acute. Seeds subglobose trimcate, appendiculate. 



Some states closely resemble C. attenuatu, to which it must be very closely allied. 



3. C. attenuata, Koen. Syn. C. Rajmahlensis, C. B. Clarke (in Comm. 

 & Cyrt.) ? 

 Small, diffuse with slender stems and branches angled, usually with 

 a line of short pubescence. Leaves linear, mostly conduplicate, 

 or shghtly tapering to one end or the other, acute or acuminate, 

 1-5-3" long by 1*5- '3" broad, midrib and marginal nerves prominent, 

 glabrous, Sheath cylindric, -25- -3" long, about 6-nerved, margins 

 thinly pubescent. Spathes (when opened out) lanceolate long- 

 acuminate, the acumen longer than the rest, sub-sagittate with rounded 

 auricles, copiously minutely dotted, sparsely hairy within, glabrous 

 outside (or with some long white hairs in Parasnath specimen), 

 • 8-1 • 4" long, margins not coherent, sometimes closely ciliate. Flowers 

 verj^ small," deep blue with brownish lower sepal. Capsule oblong 

 •27" long, retuse, 2-1-celled, each cell 1-2-seeded. Seeds • 1" long 

 (excluding the prominent pale soft process each end), brown, sub- 

 terete, with a line down one face at right angles to the scar, truncate 

 and appendaged each end, one appendage minutely toothed. 



Eajmahal Hills, S. P. Kurz ! Ranchi, C'.B.C. ! Hazaribagh (Parasnath), 

 C.H.C. ! Manbhum, C.B.C. ! Angul, CJiattarjee ! FL, Fr. Oct.-jSfov. 



This species is very closely allied to C. salicifolia and C. appendiculata, Clarke. 

 and appears to show that too much importance has been attached to the more or 

 less complete suppression of the third loculus in the fruit. Clarke says " close to 

 C. Hasskarlii, differs by the 4 ovules (never ?) 5, by the appendiculate seeds, 

 2-3 frequently abortive." In his Commeli/»acece he also says under C. rajmahlensis. 

 close to C. appendiculata, but in which the spathes are less elongate, less hairy 

 and the seeds much smaller. But although C. rajmahlensis is given as a sj-nonym 

 in Clarke's Monograph and in F.B.I., the figure in the Commelynacece shows a 

 distinctly 3-celled capsule and 3 muticous seeds ! 



In my specimen the flowers are only just exserted from the very narrow beaked 

 spathe. The capsiile is retuse instead of shortly beaked, but I have been unable 

 to confirm the constancy of this character as the capsules in herbaria are mostly 

 mutilated. Hooker (in F.B.I.) restricts the species to plants with leaves only 

 1-2" long, recm'ved, and 1 -celled capsules. 



C. appendiculata, Clarke, is found in the Darjeeling Tarai and may 

 therefore be found in Purneah. The plant is in general larger than 

 attenuata but this may be due to the forcing locality. Spathes 1-5- 

 2 • 5" copiously minutely dotted. Capsule • 25" not retuse. Seed 1 in 

 each cell, more elongated and less truncate, • 14". 



4. C. Hasskarlii, Clarke. 



Stems diffuse, creeping and rooting at the base, glabrous (or pubes- 

 cent, Clarke), or sometimes a few short hairs below the nodes. Leaves 



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