Conimelina.] cxLiii. coMMELiXACE.t (clmikE; ;J;; 



3. COMMELINA. Linn.; Benfch. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. iii. 847. 



Inflorescence of 2(-l) cymes included (or partly included) within a 

 folded or funnel-shaped spathe. Sepals ;}, concave, obtuse. Petals 3, 

 whereof 2 are long-clawed, the third dorsal and shorter. Stamens 

 3-2 anterior perfect, 3-2 dorsal sterile with rudiments of the anthers. 

 Ovary cells 2 anterior equal, 2-1 ovuled, dehiscent in fruit, the third 

 dorsal 1-ovuled or empty or suppressed. Seeds 5-1 to the capsule; 

 hilum linear, vertical. — Succulent weeds. Flowers fugitive, blue, white 

 or yellow. The spathe is an ovate leaf-like bract, either simply folded 

 flat with an acute (often curved) midrib (keel), or with the lower 

 margin connate so as to form an oblique funnel. The lower cyme in 

 each spathe has often only male flowers, and is early caducous by an 

 articulation or not rarely wanting ; the upper cyme has usually perfect 

 flowers at the base, male at the top. 



Species 120, in all warm countries. 



The subgenus Didymoon below is well separated from Monoon — i.e., I know no 

 case of the assigned character failing. The sectioiiiil y:roups pass, however, into each 

 other. In Eu- Commelina the dorsal cell of the capsule is frequently sterile or nearly 

 wanting; while in Dissecocarpus there is frequently present a rudimentary dorsal 

 cell which, in a few instances, has contained a small seed. So also, in Heterocarpus, 

 though the 4 ovules of the 2 anterior cells nearly always fail to perfect seeds, in a 

 few species the two upper ovules of these cells do produce seeds at least occasionally. 

 The line between the sections Trithyrocarpus and Spathodithyros is (as Hua has 

 shown) by no means absolute. The sections, nevertheless, appear to me to form fairly 

 natural groups. In the description of the spathe it is supposed to be unfolded and 

 viewed as a leaf flattened out. 



''-'DiDYMOO^f. — Ovules 2 in each ventral cell of the ovary, 1 or in the dorsal cell. 

 fEu-Commelina. — Capsule 3-celled, 2-valved ; the dorsal valve deciduous with 

 tlie included seed, but usually finally dehiscing. Seeds normally 5 to the 

 capsule. 

 jSpathe simply folded, the margins being free or only slightly connate at the very 

 base. 

 §Setds reticulated; the margins of the subhexagonal cells raised and forming 

 a continuous line round the depressed areoles ; corolla blue. 

 Leaves elliptic to lanceolate. 



Leaves scattered ; spathes mostly pednncled . 1. C. iivdijiora. 

 Leaves close-packed ; spathes as though sessile 



on the leaf-sheaths . . . . 2. C Sahafieri. 



Leaves linear. 



Stems 5-10 ft. long ; seeds of the ventral cells 



-^ in. long . . . . . . 8. C scavdenfi. 



Stems 1-2 ft. long; seeds of the ventral cell> 



less than ^^ in. long . . . . -i. C Gamhicr. 



§§Seeds pitted, obscurely tubercled or wiinlded. 

 Fertile stems hemiscapose, with 2 or 3 leafless 



sheaths . . . . . . * 5. C scaposa . 



Fertile stems leafy. 

 Leaves linear. 



Roots fibrous ; short-lived annuals. 



Leaves 2-3 in. long . . . .6. C. xiibu/afa. 



Leaves up to 6-9 in. long. 



