372 CLX. "COMMELINACE^S. " (J. D. Hooker.) \Commelina. 



11. C. persicarisefolia, Wight in Wall. Gat. 8984 (not of DC) ; 

 nearly glabrous, leaves large petioled ovate-cordate or lanceolate, spathes 

 broadly ovate-cordate peduncled complicate, seeds oblong terete smooth or 

 obscurely rugose. Clarke Monogr. 171. C. paludosa, Burm. Thes. Zeyl.69 

 t. 20, f. 2 ; Moon Gat. PI Ceyl. '5 (not of Blume). C. benghalensis, Wall. 

 Gat. 8980 H. 



DECCAN PENINSULA, Bottler. Dindygul, Wight. CEYLON, Regnaud. 



Stems diffuse. Leaves 3-5 by 1-2 in., acuminate, glabrous or puberulous, base 

 rounded. Spathes 1 in., base truncate, peduncle as long. Capsule oblong, obtuse. 



Var. )8. geniculata, Clarke I.e. leaves narrowly oblong-lanceolate. C. communis 

 var. geniculata, Wall. Cat., 8978 N. Burma, at Segain. Mixed in Wallich's 

 distribution with obliqua and Kwczii. 



12. C- attenuata, Keen. mss. in Vahl Enum. ii. 168 ; glabrous or 

 hirsute, leaves small sessile linear or lanceolate, spathes peduncled oblong- 

 or ovate-lanceolate deeply cordate, capsule 1-celled, with 2 superposed 

 seeds truncate and appendaged at both ends, or 1 subglobose seed. Clarke 

 Monogr. 172. C. rajmahalensis, Clarke in Journ. Linn. Soc. Bot. xi. 444, 

 Comm. Sf Cyrt. Beng. t. 7; Monogr. 172. C. repens, Roxb. in Heyne mss. 

 C. communis, Wall. Gat. 8978 B (vn part). 



BBHAR, CENTRAL INDIA, and the DECCAN PENINSULA in dry places common. 

 CEYLON, Walker. 



Stems 12-18 in., tufted, much branched, rather slender. Leaves 1-2 by \ \ in., 

 obtuse or subacute, often complicate and usually recurved. Spathes f-l in., acute 

 or caudate-acuminate, longer than their peduncles, base auricled, deeply cordate. 

 Flowers small, blue. Capsule oblong-subquadrate, not constricted in the middle, either 

 1-celled with 2 superposed seeds, or with one subglobose seed. Seeds straw-colrd:, or 

 ashy. 



Subgen. II. IMConoon, Clarke. All the cells of the ovary 1-ovuled. 



Sect. 4. TBITHYROCARPUS. Capsule 3-celled, subequally 3-valved. 

 Seeds free in the cells. 



13. C. obliqua, Ham. in Don Prodr. 45 (not of Vahl) ; stem stout, 

 leaves lanceolate, spathes subsessile solitary or crowded funnel-shaped, 

 capsule trigonous obovoid, seeds ellipsmd compressed. Clarke Comm. & 

 Cyrt. Seng. t. 9, 10, 11 ; Monogr. 178, t. 2, f. 3. C. polyspatha, Wight Ic. 

 t. 2066. ' C. maculata, & C. striata, Edgew. in Trans. 'Linn. tfqc. xx. 89; 

 Wall. Cat. 8983 & 8981 (in part] C. semi-ovata, Ham. in Wall. Cat. 8985. 

 C. communis, Rpxb. Fl. Ind. i. 171 ; Ed. Wall. $ Carey i. 175 (not of 

 Linn.). C. Donii, Dietr. Sp. PI. ii. 395. C. paludosa, Blume Enum. i. 2. 

 Heterocarpus P obliquus, Hassk. Commelin. Ind. 7. 



Throughout INDIA, from the base of the Himalaya to 6000 ft. ; the WESTERN 

 GHATS and Singapore. CEYLON, not common. DISTRIB. Malay Islds. 



Stem tall, 2-3 ft., branched. Leaves very variable, 4-7 by 1-2 in., sessile or 

 petioled, acute or caudate-acuminate, glabrous pubescent or villous beneath ; sheaths 

 f in., margins often bearded. Spathes f-H in. long and broad, sessile or peduncled, 

 usually in terminal heads, acute, glabrous scabrid villous or glandular-hirsute with 

 red hairs; raceme usually simple (no lower branch). Petals blue. Seeds lead- 

 coloured, margins often marbled. C. maculata is a smaller more slender very 

 viscidly villous form. A small state from n irjeeling, alt. 5-7000 ft. (Clarke) has 

 leaves only 1-1^ by ^ | in. 



14. C. paleata, Hassk. PI. Jungh. 139; stem stout, leaves elliptic or 

 broadly lanceolate, spathes shortly peduncled scattered broadly ovate 



