326 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



Perhaps native along the upper Delaware in the Middle dis- 

 trict, but for the most part, if not entirely, an escape from 

 cultivation. 



Fl. — ^Late May to mid-June. 



Middle District. — New Egj-pt, Bordentown (C), Swedesboro (C), Salem 

 (C). 



COMMELINA L. 

 Commelina communis L. Common Spiderwort. 



Commelina communis Linnaeus, Sp. PI. I. 40. 1753 [America]. 



Frequent in the Northern and Middle districts, and locally on 

 the coast; largely if not entirely introduced as a weed. 



All alleged records of C. virginica from our district prove to 

 be this. 



Fl. — Early August to late September. 



Middle District.— Bexerly (C), Kinkora (NY), Fish House, Merchantville 

 (C), Moorestown (C), Kaighns Pt., Haddonfield (S), Oaklyn (S), Lawn- 

 side (S), Woodbury (C), Pennsgrove (C). 



Coast Strip.— Beach Haven (L), Atlantic City (NB), Pleasantville (NY). 



Commelina hirtel'.a Vahl. 



Commelina hirtella Vahl., Enumerat. 2. 166. 1806 [new name for C. longi- 

 folia Mich., nee Lam. — Virginia]. 



Very rare in the Middle district. Collected by Chas. E. Smith 

 at Kaighns Point many years ago. 

 Middle District. — Kaighns Pt. 



Family PONTEDERIACE.E. Pickerel Weeds, etc. 



Several water plants of very dissimilar general appearance 

 belong here. They all agree in having six-parted flowers, which 

 grow singlv or several to man\^ together in a sheath or spathe,. 

 which is leaf-like, often covering only the base of the spike. 



Only the Pickerel \A'eed enters the Pine Barrens. 



Key to tJic Species. 



a. Leaves ovate, cordate sagittate, flowers in an exposed spike, blue. 



Poittederia, p. 327 

 aa. Leaves uniform, flowers inconspicuous, whitish or bluish. 



Heteranthera remformis, p. 327 

 aaa. Leaves floating, grass-like; flowers star-like, yellow. H. duhia, p. 327 



