ANEILEMA.] COMMELINACEJE. 277 



A dwarf annual, with fibrous roots, branching from the base ; branches 

 6-10 in., decumbent and rooting below. Leaves ^sessile, the lower 

 ones broadly linear-lanceolate ; the upper oblong ; cordate, amplexi- 

 cant, J-l in. long, acute ; sheaths very short. Flowers about J in. 

 across, in dichotomously branched few-fld. panicles ; peduncles 

 terminal and from the upper axils ; pedicels longer than the capsules ; 

 bracts' minute, ovate, amplexicaul, persistent. Stamens 3, perfect ;. 

 anthers blue, filaments bearded ; staminodes 3, shorter than stamens, 

 usually naked. Ovary 3 -celled, cells many-ovuled. Capsule 3- 

 gonous 1 , the cells 3-7-seeded. Seeds 1-seriate, minute, pale. 



Banda (Edgeworth, under Commelina nana). DISTRIB. : Throughout 

 India and in Ceylon, extending to Malaya and China, flowering 

 during the rains. This plant will probably be found in other local- 

 ities within the area of this flora. It appears to be common in Bengal 

 as a field weed. 



3. A. nudlflorum, R. Br. Prod. 271 (in note) ; Clarke in DC. 

 Mon. iii, 210 ; F. B. I. vi, 378 ; Collett Fl. Siml. 538 ; Prain 

 Beng. PL 1084 ; Cooke FL Bomb, ii, 788. A. ratiicans, Don Prod. 

 45 (in part). Commelina nudiflora, L. Mant. 177 (not of Sp. PL) ; 

 Eoxb. FL Ind. i, 173. 



Hoots fibrous. Stem simple or branched from the base ; branches 

 6-12 in., procumbent and often rooting at the nodes. Leaves 2-5 

 ,in. long, linear-oblong or lanceolate, acute or acuminate, flat, gla- 

 brous or sparingly villous, base cordate rounded or narrowed into 

 the sheath ; sheaths hairy, the margins and mouth strongly ciliate. 

 Flowers in subglobose or subcorymbose cymes at the ends of the 

 branches of a terminal (rarely axillary) panicle ; pedicels -J in, 

 long ; bracts boat-shaped, caducous. Sepals in. long, oblong, 

 obtuse. Petals equal, suborbicular, blue or purple. Stamens 2 

 perfect, 2-4 sterile, filaments or perfect stamens only or all beardeld 

 with moniliform blue hairs. Ovary 3-celled ; cells 2-ovuled. Capsule 

 J in. long, subglobose, mucronate, 3-celled, with 3 seeds in each cell. 

 Seeds 1-seriate, tuberculate, dark brown, truncate at one end, rounded 

 at the other ; inner face angular, outer face convex. 



Dehra Dun and Saharanpur districts ; Bundelkhand (Edgeworth), 

 flowering during the rains. DISTRIB. : Throughout India and on 

 the W. Himalaya up to 6,000 ft.; Khasia Hills and Burma, and 

 from Bengal and Bombay southwards to Ceylon, extending to China 

 and the Malay Islands. 



4. A. Hamlltoniana, Wall. Cot. 5222 ; F. B. I. vi, 380 ; Prain 

 Beng. PL 1084 ; Dichaespermum Blumei, Hassle ; Clarice, Comm. 

 and Cyrt. Beng. t. 27. 



