188 



COMMELYNACE^E. 



[Endogens 



Order LVI. COMMELYNACEjE— Spiderworts. 



Ephemerea?, Batsch. Tab. Affin. 125. (1802) in part.— Commelyneze, R. Brown Prodr. 268. '1810) ; 

 Richard in Itumb. Bonpl. N. Gen. 1. 258. (1815) ; Apardh Aph. 168. (1823) : Kunth. Emtm. 4. 34. 

 — Commelynaceae, Ed. prior. Endl. Gen. xlviii.; Meisner, GeneravpAOG. — Flagellariese, Endl. Gen. 

 p. 131. 



Diagnosis. — Xyridal Endogens, with 3 sepals opposite the carpels, 3 petals, 6 (or 3) stamens, 

 axile placentae, and a trochlear embryo half immersed in fleshy albumen. 



Herbaceous plants. Leaves flat, narrow, usually sheathing at the base. Sepals 3, 

 distinct from the petals, herbaceous. Petals coloured, sometimes cohering at the base. 

 Stamens 6, or a smaller number, hypogynous, some of them either deformed or abortive ; 

 anthers 2-celled, turned inwards. Ovary 3-celled, with few-seeded cells ; style 1 ; stig- 

 ma 1 . Capsule 2- or 3-celled, 2- or 3-valved, the valves bearing the dissepiments in the 

 middle. Seeds often twin, inserted by their whole side on the inner angle of the cell, 

 whence the hilum is linear, with a papilla covering over the embryo ; embryo pulley- 

 shaped, antitropal, lying half-buried in a cavity of the albumen remote from the hilum ; 

 albumen densely fleshy. 



The Spiderworts are plants which exhibit a transition from the first remove out of 

 the regions of sedge-like plants to the true Lilies. In other words, while Xyrids are 

 glumaceous herbs with their perfectly-formed 

 petals, there are Xyrids with the glumaceous 

 structure gone, and the Liliaceous peculiarities 

 gained : all but the long axil embryo and the 

 petaline condition of the calyx. Brown com- 

 pares them with Rushes, observing that they 

 are very different both in habit and structure ; 

 agreeing better with Restiacese in the situation 

 of the embryo and the sheathing leaves, although 

 otherwise quite distinct ; they have scarcely any 

 affinity with Palms, except in the trochlear 

 embryo, remote from the hilum, and indicated 

 in both Orders by an external papilla. The 

 Spiderworts may also be compared with Alis- 

 mads, which are equally tripetaloideous, and 

 with Mayacs, which have 1-celled anthers, a 

 wholly cellular structure, and, as they say, the 

 carpels opposite the petals. 



Chiefly found in the East and West Indies, 

 New Holland, and Africa. A few occur in 

 North America, but none in Northern Asia or 

 Europe. 



Concerning then* uses there is little to relate. The fleshy rhizomes of Commelyna 

 coelestis, tuberosa, angustifolia and striata, contain a good deal of starch mixed with mu- 

 cilage, and are therefore fit for food when cooked. The Chinese employ those of C. 

 medica in cough, asthma, pleurisy, strangury, and dysury. Tradescantia diuretica has 

 a similar application in Brazil. A decoction of Cyanotis axillaris is drunk in the East 

 Indies in cases of tympanis, and Tradescantia Malabarica is administered in the same 

 country, boiled in oil, as a remedy for itch and leprosy. Murdannia scapiflora is said 

 by Dr. Royle " to have some repute in Hindoo Materia Medica." Commelyna Rumphii 

 is held in India to be emmenagogue. The leaves of Flagellaria indica are said to be 

 astringent and vulnerary. 



GENERA. 



CXXIX. 



Commelyna, Dillen. 



Hedwigia, Medik. 



Lechea, Lour. 



Ananthopus, Raf. 

 Aneilema, R. Br. 



Aphttax, Salisb. 

 I 1 ' ilyspatha, Benth. 

 Floscopa, Lnnr. 



Dithyrocarpm, Kth. 



Palisota, Reiehenb. 

 Pollia, Tlnmb. 



Aclisia, E. Mey. 



Lamprocarpus, Blum. 

 Callisia, Ltiffl. 



HapaAanthus, .lacq. 

 Murdannia, Roi/le. 



Tinnantia, Scheidw. 

 Tradescantia, Linn. 



Ephemerum, Touraef. 

 Spirouema, Lindl. 

 Cyanotis, Bon. 



Zygomenes, Salisb. 

 Lampra, Benth. 



Numbers. 



Position. - 



Gen. 16.— Sp. 260. 

 Liliaceoz. 



-COMMELYNACE-E. 



Bromeliacece. 



Campelia, Rich. 



Zanonia, Plum. 

 Dichorisandra, Mil: 

 Cartonema, R. Br. 

 Forrestia, A. Rich. 

 Flagellaria, L. 

 Streptolirion, Edgw. 

 Heterachtia, Knze. 

 Rlia30, Hance. 



-Xyridacepo. 



Pig. CXXIX. — Aneilema crispatum; 1. a flower; 2. the calyx and pistil; 3. the capsule; 

 I. ". seeds ; r>. a section of ditto showing the embryo ; 7. the papilla ; 8. the embryo. — Ferd. Bauer. 



