A NEW GENUS OF THE COMMELINACEAE ° 271 
glabrous and some of whose anthers are sterile; a spathe which is 
folded so as to protect alike the flowers bud and the ripening 
capsule, the flower being projected above the edges of the spathe 
only during the very brief period of bloom: the latter has stamens 
all alike in size and pubescence and all fertile; the inflorescence 
subtended by one or more (usually two) unlike bracts, never by 
a spathe. Neither Commelina nor Tradescantia has branches 
which break through the leaf sheaths. This habit, however, is 
held in common with certain tropical genera to which the species 
has never been heretofore compared. Dr. Pennell has kindly 
gone over the whole family as represented by specimens in the 
New York Botanical Garden Herbarium and reports the following 
genera as having this habit: 
1. Callisia (tropical American) lacks spathe, has uniform petals and 
stamens, 
2. Campelia (tropical American) has spathe, but uniform petals and 
stamens, white. 
3. Cyanotis (tropical Asia) has series of overlapping spathes. 
4. Dichorisandra (tropical American) lacks spathe, inflorescence a panicle. 
5. Floscopa (tropical American and Asia) lacks spathe, inflorescence a 
panicle. 
6. Forrestia (tropical Asia) lacks spathe, inflorescence congested erupts 
spathe. 
7. Pollia (tropical Asia) lacks spathe, inflorescence a panicle. 
8. Sauvellea (Cuba) has spathe, but petals and stamens uniform; repent. 
9. Streptolirion “age has spathe below cymes or panicle, but petals 
ei stamens uniform, the filaments bearded. Stem twinin 
Pradesconies (Florida) lacks spathe, but petals and cannens uniform. 
Racor 
tT: Zebrinn (tropical American) has two bracts below the congested in- 
florescence; petals uniform, at base approximating to form a corolla-tube. 
Repent. 
The species differs from any of these generic groups in its 
combination of erect habit, single, flat, erect, spathe; unequal 
petals; and stamens of four forms. 
In addition to the several genera listed above, Dr. Pennell 
finds that Tradescantia Pringlei S. Wats.* also has leaves 
which break through the sheathes. Moreover, it has the following 
additional characters which ally it very closely to T. anomala: 
general appearance very similar; inflorescence a simple scorpoid 
raceme (or frequently reduced to only one flower); stamens 
probably like those of 7. anomala in that there are four kinds, 
*Trans. Am. Acad. 26: 157. 1891. 
