ORDER CXXXVI. C0MMELYNACKJ2. 5-47 



Order CXXXVI. —COMMELYNA'CEyE. (Sjnder-wort 

 Family.) 



ScjmU 3, distinct. Petals 3, sometimes united at the base. 

 Stameus G, or sometimes fewer, hypogynous, a part of them de- 

 formed or abortive. Ovary 3-celled, with few ovules in a cell. 

 Style 1. Stigma 1. Capsule 2 — 3-celled, with as many valves. 

 Seed anatropous, inserted by their whole side, on the inner an- 

 gle of the cell. Herbaceous plants. 



Genus I— COMMELY'NA. L. 3—1. 

 (In honor of J. & G. Conimelyn, Dutch botanists.) 



Sepals 3. Petals 3. Stamens G, usually 3 of them sterile 

 and furnished with cruciform glands. Capsule 3-celled, 3-valved. 



1. C. commu'nis, (L.) Stem prostrate, creeping, glabrous, much 

 branched, jointed. Leaves alternate, ovate-lanceolate, with cartiiai^in- 

 ous margins, sheathing, with the sheath ciliate. Flowers on peduncles, 

 opposite the leaves. Bracts ciliate. Sepals unequal, the lateral ones 

 large, obtuse. Petals unequal, the lateral ones rounch-d, spatulate, the 

 others reniform. Sf.i/te blue. Seed 2 in a cell. — Light-blue. Q. June 

 — Nov. Wet grounds. 



2. C. erec'ta, (L.) Siej/i procumbent and erect, branching near the 

 base, slightly pubescent. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, slightly .^cabrous on 

 the up|)er surface, sheathing; sheath ciliate. Brads cordate, inrlo-ing 

 the flower before it expands. Sepals 3, oval, unequal, white. J'ttals 2, 

 one larger than the other. — Blue. 2^. May — June. Dry sandy soils. 

 12— 18 inches. 



3. C. Virgin'ioa, (L.) <S<fj« erect, slightly pubescent, striate. Leavet 

 oblong, finely serrulate, scabrous, slightly hairy, slieatliing at the l>ase; 

 sheath ciliate. Flowers clustered, axillary, or ternn'nal. Sepals 3, mem- 

 branaceous, unequal. Petals 5, unequal, lower one smallest. — Blue. 

 2f . Aug. — Oct. Moist places. 2 feet. 



4. C. uirtel'la, (Vahl.) Stein erect, hairy. Leaves lanceolate, peti- 

 olate ; sheaths lateral and terminal, sessile. — July. In shaded, ri>cky 

 situations. 



5. C. angustifo'li^v, (Mich.) Ston assurgent, branching, glabrous. 

 Leaves lanceolate, acuminate ; sheaths hirsute, ciliate nt the oritice. 

 Spathc cucullate, acuminate, subconlate-ovate. S'pnh glabrous ; e.xte- 

 rior glandular, punctate ; interior petaluid, unequal, se.ssile. — Purple. 

 1(. Carolina to Pennsylvania. 



Genus II.— TRADESCAN'TIA. L. 6—1. 

 (In honor of John Tradcscant, gardener to Charles I.) 



Sepals 3. Petals 3. Stamens 6, villous, with jointetl hair. 

 Style 1. Capsule 3-celled, many-seeded. 



1. T. Virgin'ioa, (L.) Stem erect, branching, glabrous, Buceulont 

 Leaves I'nig, lanceolate, glabrous, sessile, channeloil. Flowers in tcrmi- 



