i 
JUN, lc 
COMMELYNA COMMUNIS. 
1. Commelyna communis Kunth, Enum. IV. p. 36, Mig. Flor. Ind. III. p 531 syn excl? C. agraria Kunth, 
Enum. IV. p. 38. Hassk. Commelynaces, p.26. Webb and Berthelot, Iles Canaries, t. 238. C. africana Kunth, Enum. IV. p. 40. 
C. cwspitosa Roxb. Flor. Ind. I. p. 174, et tab. 1307 in Calcutta Herbario. C. diffusa Kunth, Enum. IV. p. 43. 
Folia subglabra oblonga acuta. Spathse complicate, basi cordate, acute sparse. Semina 5 reticulata. 
Hab. Tu Bengalia ubique. 
Distributio Indica, In Burina et Malaya. 
Caulis cum vel absque linea pilosa. Folia vagineeque glabra puberule vel breviter pilose. Vaginarum ora subglabra cili- 
ata aut rufo-ciliata. Pedunculus inferior unum, aliquando nullum, rarius duos flores gerens. Pedunculus superior 2-4 vel etiam 6 
flores gerens: Pedunculi superioris flos infimus (aliquando duo flores inferiores) perfectus, ceteri maseuli. Pedunculus inferior sapius 
flores masculos gerit : rarius 1, rarissime 2, flores perfectos gerit. Spatha plus minus elongata in eadem planta sat variabilis. Fructtis 
duorum loculorum semina sparguntur ; loculus tertius marcescens semen arcte amplectitur : sed perraro hunc tertium loculum maturius 
(longe post aliorum duorum loculorun dehiscentiam) regulariter dehiscentem vidi. 
Vidi specimina viva spontanea numerosiss 
The specimens of C. agraria and C. africana from Africa do not differ in any particular from specimens of C. communis 
growiig in Bengal. ‘The only question is whether the name C. communis or C. agraria should be retained for this wide-spread species. 
The Commelyna communis of Roxburgh is certainly (vid infra) the modern C. obliqua ; and I judge from his figure of O. 
cxspitosa in the Caleutta Herbarium that Roxburgh so named our O. communis. Bentham (in Hongkong Flora., p. 376) reduces C. czspi- 
tosa, Roxb. to ©. salicifolia Roxb., with a query. It is not C. salicifolia at all events. Commelyna communis Benth., Hongkong 
Flora, p. 376, is probably the same plant sent from China to the Caleutta Herbarium by Dr. Moingay : it is very near C. communis, but 
differs by the venose, shortly acute, spathes ; by the inflorescence, which is collected towards the ends of the branches ; andin the seeds 
which are grossly punctate, but scarcely reticulated. 
From the description I. judge C. subamplectens Ha. , Commelynacer, p. 27, to be C. communis, mihi: but in the absence 
of any description of the seeds it may possibly be C. salicifolia. 
Commelyna linearifolia Kunth, Enum. IV. p. 43 I judge from the description to be = C. communis : the suppression of 
the lower peduncle is not uncommon. ‘The leaves in some specimens of Commelyna communis are quite as narrow as in C. salicifolia, 
EXPLICATIO TABULZ |. 
Planta ex specimine recente nuper depicta. 
Flos unicus auctus e Webb et Berthelot, Iles Canaries, t. 238, fig. 3, (Commelyna agraria) exseriptus. 
1. Capsula matura a latere visa, in pedicello resupinata, 
2, Capsula matura a dorso vi 
2 
Capsula matura a facie visa. 
4. Capsule dehiscentis horizontalis sectio, 
5. Quatuor semina in situ ab externa facie visa, loculi altera valvula per maturationem dehiscente. 
6. Quintum semen e loculo indehiscente extractum ab externa facie yisum, 
7. Quatuor semina in 5. ab interna facie visa, 
8. Quintum semen in 6, ab interna facie visum, 
