Wild Flowers East of the Rockies 31 



SPIDERWORT FAMILY (Commelinaceae). 



A small family of herbs containing, in our range, 

 about a dozen species under two genera. 



DAY-FLOWER (Commelina communis) is one of a 

 very few of our native plants having pure blue flow- 

 ers. Its common name is very appropriate because 

 each blossom lasts but a single day, opening in 

 the morning, and before night, shrinking away to 

 a little mass of jelly. Its generic name was given 

 by Linnaeus in honor of a Dutch family of botanists 

 by the name of Commelin. It flowers all summer and 

 spreads rapidly by striking out new roots from the 

 leaf joints on the reclining stem. 



The stem is rather weak, much jointed and attains 

 heights of one to two feet. The leaves are lance- 

 shaped clasping the stem at its joints. The flowers 

 have three irregular sepals and three petals; two 

 petals are large, rounded and blue, while the third 

 is tiny and colorless; three stamens are sterile and 

 have no anthers, while three others are fertile, with 

 orange anthers; the whole flower peeps out from a 

 clasping, cordate, heart-shaped leaf or spathe. Found 

 from Southern Mass, to Mich, and southwards, bloom- 

 ing in rich woods or dooryards from June to Sept. 



SPIDERWORT; JOB'S TEARS (Tradescantia virg- 

 inana), like the Day Flower, remains open but for 

 part of a day, after which the petals contract into 

 glutinous drops, thus giving it one of its common 

 names. The generic name was given in honor of 

 John Tradescant, who was gardener for King Charles 

 the First. 



The stem is hairy and sticky; from one to two 

 feet high. The leaves are linear, hairy and clasping 

 at their bases. Three purple petals, three brown, 

 hairy sepals and six orange tipped stamens compose 

 the flowers. They may be found in rich soil from 

 Me. to Mich, and southwards, flowering from June to 

 August. 



