THE COMMELINA. 91 



All the species of Commelina require a light, rich soil 

 and a sunny situation, but they will bear a certain amount 

 of shade. There are a few hardy species with blue flowers, 

 the best of which are C, erecta, C. fasciculata, and C. 

 Vifffinicaj but these are only known in botanic gardens, 

 and the amateur will in most cases have to content himself 

 with the charming blue-flowered plant which is the subject 

 of the accompanying figure, and its two beautiful varieties. 

 One of these (Commelina calestis alba) has white flowers, 

 and the other (C. caelestis variegata] has variegated leaves. 



The Virginian spiderwort (Tradescantia Virginicd] is a 

 capital border plant, for it will grow in almost any soil, 

 and gives plenty of flowers all the summer through. We 

 have had it thriving amazingly in a wet clay, the varie- 

 ties being at least a dozen in number, and we have seen 

 it scarcely less happy in old worn-out garden loam or sandy 

 peat. The deep violet blue, which is considered the typical 

 form, is extremely beautiful in the contrast of its golden 

 anthers with the violet satin of its petals. The white 

 variety also is extremely beautiful. Those who want more 

 than these two will have no difficulty in obtaining the 

 blue and white, the double blue, the single red, and the 

 single blue. They have but to be planted and left alone, 

 and they will do their duty. They are not out of place 

 on a rockery, but are not good enough for a really choice 

 rockery, for, though curious and beautiful, there is a weedy 

 and common tone about them, and a rockery must be ex- 

 tensive to admit such things. Propagation is best effected 

 by division in spring, and those who are unaccustomed to 

 propagate plants may be advised to avoid minute division, 

 being content to divide a clump into two or three good- 

 sized pieces rather than make of it as many as possible. 



