40 cxLiii. coMMEiTNACE^ (clarke). [Commelina. 



veins. Flowers hardjy exserted from the spathes, violet {Schmz). 

 Capsule \- in. long, 5-seeded ; seeds strongly tubercled, deeply 

 wrinkled. 



Iiower Guinea. Ainboland ; in marshy places at Olukonda, ScJdnz, 21 ! 33 ! 



Tlie Howers are violet in the linely preserved specimens. 



10. C. purpurea, C. B. Clarke ex Rendle in Journ. Linn. Soc. 

 XXX. 429. Nearly glabrous, except the spathes. Stems 15 in. high, 

 with long internodes ; base erect, thickened, almost woody ; roots 7 in. 

 long, thick. Leaves i) by V in. Spathes few, scattered, on peduncles 

 exserted 0-1 in., simply folded, h in. long, ovate, acute with the tip 

 nearly straight, some shaggy, some only slightly hairy, striated by 

 chocolate-coloured parallel nerves. Racemes exserted from the spathes. 

 Flowers chocolate-colour (Speke d- Grant). Capsule 5-seeded ; seeds 

 moderately pitted. — C. ntgritana, Baker in Trans. Linn. Soc. xxix. 16;>, 

 not of Benth. 0. subulaia, C. B. Clarke in DC. Monogr. Phan. iii. 148 

 partly, not of Roth. Conimelmaj sp. n. 2, T. Thoms." in Speke, Nile, 

 Append. G50. 



true Xiand. British East Africa : between Xdoro and Guaso Thegu, Gregori/. 

 XWEozaznl). Bist. German East Africa : Unyamwezi district, by water, 3600 ft., 

 Speke Sf Gravt! 



In the dry examples, the spathes are very strongly striated by chocolate-coloured 

 nerves, the petals are a deep purple, In the colours noted in the iield of the flowers 

 in this Ordor, a question often arises whether the petals, the anthers, or the spathes 

 have caught the eye of the collector. 



1 1 . C. nyasensis, C. B. Clarke. Nearly glabrous. Stems 12-20 in. 

 long, much divided, rather slender, with very long internodes up to 

 6-« in. long ; base of the stem (imperfectly preserved) appears similar 

 to that of C. purpurea. Leaves by \ in., narrowly linear. Spathes 

 scattered on axillary branches, approximate, sometimes many in dense 

 clusters, less than h in. long, simply folded, broadly ovate, with a very 

 short acute deflexed tip, striated by coloured veins (blue to chocolate in 

 the dried plants), which are very prominent or nearly disappear in 

 spathes on the same stem. Capsule 5-seeded ; seeds moderately wrinkled 

 or pitted. 



nSozaxnl). Sist. Kriti?li Central Africa: Xyasaland ; Tanganvika Plateau, at 

 Fort Hill, 350O-40U0 ft., Whyte ! Monganja Highlands, 4000 ft., Kirk ! 



12. C. coelestis, Willd. Enum. Hort. Berol. i. GO. Minutely 

 hairy. Stems 1-2 ft. high, erect at the base; roots thick, often clavate 

 at the ends. Leaves 5 by ^-^^ in. Peduncles scattered, 1-1 J- in. long. 

 Spathes 1-i- in. long, ovate-lanceolate, .simply folded, often purplish or 

 striate. Flowers blue, much exserted from the spathe. Capsule 5- 

 seeded ; seeds deeply pitted. — C. B. Clarke in DC. Monogr. Phan. iii. 

 158; cfr. Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. vi. 869. 



wile I.ancl. British East Africa : Machakos, Scoit-MUof, 6387 ! 

 Mozamb. X>ist. British Central Africa : Urungu ; Fwambo, Carson, 35 

 between Lake Nyasa and Lake Tanganyika, 6000-8000 ft., Thomson ! 

 Indigenous in Mexico. 

 This plant is disposed to establish itself in various parts of the world. 



