270 A NEW GENUS OF THE COMMELINACEAE 
observation that ‘“‘the species is intermediate between Trades- 
cantia and Commelyna.”’ 
Clarke’s description of Tinantia anomala appears to be based 
neither upon the excellent original by Torrey, nor upon any 
critical examination of material of the species. He characterizes 
the plant as glabrous, the leaves as ovate-cordate, the three 
longer stamens simply as ‘‘naked above,” the three shorter as 
having ‘‘golden bearded anthers,’’ the stems as “‘ dichotomously 
branched,” the inflorescence as being ‘‘almost included in the 
subcomplicate uppermost leaf,’”’ the petals as being ‘‘obovate- 
elliptic, bluish”’ (by inference all alike in size and appearance). 
ith the exception of the capsule, the measurements of all 
structures are under-stated. His specimens may not have shown 
the basal linear-lanceolate, ciliate, leaves; his scant measure- 
ments may have been due to his materials having shrunken in 
drying, and his representation of the “uppermost leaf’’ as 
“‘subcomplicate”” may have been due to his specimens having 
been somewhat wilted before being pressed; but there seems no 
valid excuse for so inaccurate a description of stamens, or for 
characterizing the stems as dichotomously branched, or for 
totally ignoring the description (excellent so far as it goes) of 
Torrey. His observation, concerning the relationship existing 
between the type species (7. -fugax) and the other species, that 
“caeterae species . . cum J. jupace ... . ... militant; 
et ad Tinantiam ex hetomitate referendae sunt, nisi genus Jinantia 
ad Tradescantiam reducatur,’’ seems to be in the nature of an 
apologetic attempt at justification, though it is difficult to see 
the logic in his statement. 
My own experience with an abundance of fresh material of 
the species in question constrains me to call attention to the 
following characteristics, which keep it from being properly 
placed in the genus Tinantia as characterized by Clarke: branches 
which break through the leaf sheaths; flowers in a simple ter- 
minal scorpioid raceme subtended by a single, broad, erect, flat, 
cordate, clasping spathe; colored lateral petals much larger than 
the very small anterior white petal; stamens of four distinct 
kinds as regards size and pubescence. 
The character of the stamens and of the spathe and the habit 
of the branches breaking through the leaf sheaths are sufficient 
to exclude it from either Commelina or Tradescantia. The 
former has difformed stamens, all of whose filaments are entirely 
