ilO CXXXA^II. COMMELYNEiE. 



elongate; sti«;ma subcapitellate. Capsule shortly stipitate, 

 compressed, didymoiis, 2-celled, 2-valved. Seeds solitary. — 

 Kuiith, I.e. -p. 7G. 



Herbs, often viscidly pubescent, creeping at base ; brandies simi)le, erect. 

 Panicles terminal, simple or branched, braeteate. Flowers pedicelled, sub- 

 raeeniose, unilateral, small. — 1 or more Cape species, at Natal. D. Capensis 

 is the only one mentioned by Kunth. 



4. CYANOTIS, Don. 



Elowers subregular. Outer perianth-segments connate at 

 base, navicuhxr, subequal, persistent ; inner longer, their 

 claws connate in a tube, caducous. Stamens 6, subequal, 

 hypogynous ; filaments very long, bearded near the top ; an- 

 thers similar. Ovary sessile, 3-celled ; style 1, thickened up- 

 wards ; stigma hollow. Capsule 3-celled, 3-valved. Seeds 2 

 in each cell. — Kunth, I.e. p. 102. 



Annuals or perennials, mostly difFuse. Flowers blue, on longish, axillary 

 or terminal peduncles, crowded, involucred by a folded, spathe-like, cordate 

 bract. — C.nodijiora (Tradescantia speciosa, Linn.) is common through the 

 colony, especially in the East. 



Order CXXXVIII. XYEIDEiE. 



Perianth 6-parted, in 2 rows ; outer glumaceous ; inner 

 petaloid, its pieces with long claws. Stamens 6, 3 fertile in- 

 serted on the apex of the claw of the petaloid segments of 

 pei'ianth ; anthers opening outwards. Ovary single, 1-celled ; 

 ovules numerous, on 3 parietal placentas ; style 3-fid ; stigmas 

 multifid or undivided. Capsule 1-celled, 3-valved.. Seeds 

 numerous ; embryo on the outside of floury albumen. — Rush- 

 like plants, with radical leaves, and densely spiked, yellow 

 flowers, borne on leafless stems. 



1. XYRIS, Linn. 



Elowers densely spiked, each from the axil of a rigid, scaly 

 bract. Perianth double, each of 3 pieces ; outer segments un- 

 equal, the 2 lateral keeled, glumaceous, persistent, the anticous 

 thinner and much larger, coloured, in the bud enfolding the 

 inner, and falling on the opening of the flower ; inner seg- 

 ments petaloid, on long claws, equal ; claws free, but cohering 

 at the apex with the staminodia ; limbs widely s]:)reading, each 

 bearing a fertile stamen at its base. Staminodia alternating 

 with the fertile stamens, hypogynous, free, filiform, 2-fid at 

 the apex, and cohering with the lamina^ of the inner segments, 

 the lobes plumose. Style 3-fid ; stigmas obtuse. Capsule 

 membranous, many-seeded. — Kunth, Enum. v. p. 2. 



