272 



COMMELINACEJE. 



[ COMMELINA. 



or rugose, 

 regions. 



Species about 100, in tropical and subtropical 



Anterior pair of cells of ovary 2-ovuled ; post- 

 erior cell 1-ovuled or obsolete : 



Capsule 3-celled, the two anterior cells 

 loculieidally dehiscent and each usually 

 2-seeded ; posterior cell keeled, 1 -seeded 

 and deciduous at length dehiscent : 



Leaves lanceolate ; spathes complicate, 

 the margins free, or connate only at the 

 very base : 



Seedg reticulate, cylindric ; branches 

 of cyme 1-3-fld.; spathe sometimes 

 cordate at base . 



Seeds smooth, truncate at one end ; 

 spathe always rounded at base : 



Branches of cyme equal, 1-2 fid. ; 

 seeds appendaged, globose at the 

 unflattened end .... 



Branches of cyme unequal, upper 

 2-4 fld., lower 1-2 fld. ; seeds with 

 out- appendages, subacute at the 

 unflattened end . 



1. C. nudiflora. 



2. C. salicifolia. 



3. C, Hasskarlii. 



Leaves elliptic-ovate ; spathe turbinate ; 



capsule always 5-seeded ; seeds rugose . 4. C. bengalensis. 



Capsule 1 -celled, with 2 superposed seeds 

 truncate and appendaged at both ends, or 

 with one subglobose seed ; leaves linear ; 

 spathes deeply cordate at base . . 5. C. attenuate. 



All the cells of the ovary 1-ovuled ; capsule 

 3-celled, subequally 3-valved ; seeds free in 

 the cells ; spathe sessile or nearly so ; cap- 

 sule 3-gonous-obovoid . . . . 6. C. obliqua. 



1. C. nudlflora, Linn. Sp. PL 41 ; Clarice, in DC. Mon. iii, 144 ; 

 F.B.I.v., 369; Watt E.D.; Pram Beng. PL 1082; CooTce Fl. 

 Bomb, ii t 781. C. caespitosa, Roxb. FL Ind. i, 174. 



Diffuse, nearly glabrous ; root fibrous. Stems 2-3 ft. or more long- 

 branching from the base ; branches prostrate or subscandent, often 

 rooting at the rather distant nodes.. Leaves sessile, 1J-3 in. lanceo- 



