143. COMMELINACE^. [1. Commelina. 



lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, subacute or obtuse, Vb-2'o" lon^^ by 

 •3-- 6 broad, glabrous (or sparsely ciliate, Clarke), rather suddenly 

 contracted to the ovoid inflated conspicuously 7-10-nerved pale 

 '6-'b long sheath which has ciliate margins. Spathe -6-1" lono- 

 with a peduncle -3-5" long when unfolded, ovate-lanceolate or ovate 

 and shghtly acuminate, complicate, margins free to base, deeply 

 cordate with 4-5 principal nerves each side of cihate midrib, glabrous 

 or midrib ciliate and margins hispidulous. Peduncle -3- -5" lon^ 

 pubescent along upper side. Capsule only one developing to each 

 spathe, -3-4 long, oblong shortly beaked, with 2 widely dehiscent 

 cells and one smaller, very tardily dehiscent cell more or less keeled, 

 beeds usually 2 m each of the larger cells, brown-black with a hoary 

 sheen, oblong and obscurely keeled, minutely reticulate, • 14" long. 

 Singbhum ! Rauchi Clarke ! Hazaribagh, Clarke ! Angul f F] Sect -Nov 

 Close to C. sahcifoha, differing by the bi'oader leaves inflated sheaths ll^s 



L'Se'thfolte? '"?lff nfn\-;f' i^^-PP^-dicidate seeds'^SnlteT/'end 

 suoacute tne othei. But I have a specimen with seeds verv sh^htlv annendiVn 

 late. The habit is often rather characteristic from the aSuary shootHeaS 

 many leaves and smaller than those of the parent stem. '*-^'''*'^ ^"°'^^^ DeanuL 



5. C. benghalensis, L. 



Stems sub-succulent, creeping and rooting below, glabrous or pubes- 

 cent, often pilose below the nodes. Leaves ovate or elliptic-ovate 

 by -5-1 -5, obtuse or rounded at the tip, suddenly contracted 

 or rounded at base. Sheaths pubescent or villous or both and usually 

 mth long hairs at mouth extending on to a short petiole. Spathes 

 i-S together, conduplicate with the margins connate for a consider- 

 able distance at the base, turbinate or conical in form and with very 

 short apex, only • 3- -6" long and as broad. Capsule membranous, 

 2 ce Is 2-seeded dehiscent, tliird smaller 1-seeded, tardily dehiscent 

 striolate. Seeds rugose, closely pitted. 



Very common in damp places. Gaya, Nusker ! Chota Nagpur all distrirt.! • 

 p?".^Sce^'T:fk5;;i;^JNov^^'^^ ^^''^^^^ ^-bably in ardistr^tfKe 



r..H;i!°T*^^^^'l^^"'^,'- sometimes sessile on the sheath, but usually with short 

 petiole base often cihate. Cymes 2-nate, one with 2-3 fls., the other^dth l 

 at a'ifm^e'-' "oZl^o^l^4 ^^'- ''''^^^ 5^^"' appearing (as in others of the genu?)Ve 



Tlie plant is eaten as a pot-herb. 



6. C. Kurzii, Clarke. Possibly a variety of C. obliqua and C. suffruticosa. 

 Clarke says " somewhat doubtfully distinct from obliqua but the 



mealy piloseness of the leaves generally enables Kurzii to be separated 

 without reference to the capsules." The capsule is 3-celled, 2-valved 

 the dorsal cell indehiscent, deciduous and scabrid. Seeds sometimes 

 ^ only. 



Rajmahal Hills, Kurz ! FI. May 



about • r\'croS fh^Vn^'^'U^'^^''^''^- ^' ^'^■}}}^ ^^'^^^^'^ ^^^ ^P^thes. Spathes 

 aoout t across the top. heeds sometimes with very wliite corrugate edges. 



7. C. obUqua, Hatn Probably a variety of and synonymous with 



C. Kurzii, Clarke, and C. suffruticosa, Blutne {q. v.). 

 A stout species with branched stems 2-3 ft. straggling amon^r 

 bushes. Leaves very variable 4-7" by 1-2" lanceolate acute or caudate. 



10; 



