CXXXVII. COMArELYNKL. 400 



cither wantiiitij or diilcrciitly Ibrmcd from tlic others. Ovary 

 8-ccllcd; ovules few in ciich cell; style 1; sti^nna 1, obtuse, 

 eapitelhite or peltate. Capsule 2-3-celled, 2-:3-va]ved, locu- 

 lieidal. Seeds often iu pairs, albuniiuous. — Herbs with 

 sheathiiifTj leaves, nodose steins, and quickly-withering^ llowei's. 



Flowers issuing from folded, spathe-like bracts. 

 Petals separate, the 2 lateral on long claws ; fila- 

 ments glabrous 1. Commelyna. 



Petals united in a tube by their claws ; fdaments 



bearded at top 4. Cyanotis. 



Flowers panicled or corymbose, without inyolucrc. 



Ovary sessile, 3-celle(l ; ovules 2 or more ... 2, Aneilema. 

 Ovary stipitate, 2-celled ; ovules solitary . . . 3. DrrJiYKOCARPUS. 



1. COMMELYNA, Linn. 



Flowers irregular. Outer perianth-segments unequal, un- 

 changed, persistent ; the odd one outermost, boat-shaped, the 

 2 lateral larger, concave, more or less connate along their outer 

 margins ; inner segments marcescent ; lateral on long claws, 

 roundish ; odd one smaller, of different form, sessile or 

 shortly clawed, exterior to the lateral. Stamens 6, free ; 3 

 fertile ; 3 barren, with cruciate- quadrifid antbers ; filaments 

 beardless. Style elongate ; stiguia obtuse, ('apsule oblicjuely 

 3-celled ; lateral cells 2-, dorsal cell 1-seeded. — Kunth, Knum. 

 iv. p. 35. 



Branching, erect or procumbent plants. Leaves [sheathing, broadly- 

 grasslike. Flowers pedicelled, blue or yellow, springing fi-om a folded or 

 cucullate, spathe-jike bract. — A few Cape species. 



2. ANEILEMA, K. Br. 



Flowers subregular. Outer perianth-segments navicular, 

 unchanged, persistent ; inner larger, subequal, deciduous. 

 Stamens 6, of which 3 2 or 4 are barren ; sometimes 4, of 

 which 2 are barren. Style elongate ; stigmas simple. Capsule 

 regularly 3-celled; cells 2- or few-seeded.— 1lw«M, I.e. p. 04. 



Erect or diffuse, branching herbs. Leaves lanceolate or linear. Pecbin- 

 eles terminal, corymbose, forked or panicled ; llowers solitary, pedicelled; 

 peduncles 2-bracteolate at base. No spalhaceous bracts, by wbic-h charac- 

 ter these plants are readily known from Commelyna.— ^cvcrAi species at and 

 near Natal. 



3. DITHYROCARPUS, Klb. 



Flowers more or less regular. Outer pcriaulb-segments 

 free, navicular ; inner larger, persistent. Stamens (j, hyjiogy- 

 nous, all fertile, 3 o])posite the outer lobes shorter; filaments 

 beardless. Ovary stipitate, 2-cellcd ; ovules solitary ; style 



