378 COMMELIXACEAE. 



3. Tradescantia brevicaulis Raf. Short-stemmed Spiderwort. (Fig. 912.) 



^ s^~~k 



Tradescantia brevicaulis Raf. Atl. Joum. 150. 1832. 



Tradescantia 1'irginica var. rillosa S. Wats, in A. 

 Gray, Man. Ed. 6. 539. 1890. 



Villous with long spreading hairs, stems only i '- 

 6' high, the plant often appearing nearly acaules- 

 cent; leaves mostly basal, 6 / -i2 / long, 4 // -S" wide, 

 grass-like, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, ciliate, at 

 least at the base, glabrous or villous toward the 

 apex; bracts similar to the leaves, but usually more 

 elongated; umbel 4-12-flowered, sessile in the 

 bracts, the pedicels slender, i'-2' long, villous; se- 

 pals oblong; corolla about i' broad, blue or 

 rose-purple. 



In dry soil. Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri. 

 May. 



April- 



4. Tradescantia pilosa Lehm. Zigzag Spidenvort. 



Tradescantia pilosa J. G. C. Lehm. Sem. Hort. Hamb. 

 1 6. 1827. 



Tradescantia fle.vuosa Raf. Atl. Journ. 150. 1832. 



More or less puberulent or short pilose, stem 

 stout, i-3 high, commonly flexuous, often 

 branched. Leaves broadly lanceolate, acuminate 

 at the apex, mostly narrowed at the base, 6 / -i5 / 

 long, y-i'-i' wide, dark green above, paler beneath; 

 bracts usually narrower and shorter than the leaves; 

 umbels 3-8, terminal and axillary or on short axil- 

 lary branches, densely many-flowered; pedicels 

 and calyx pubescent and more or less glandular, 

 rarely nearly glabrous; corolla lilac-blue, 9 // -i5 // 

 broad. 



Southern Pennsylvania to Illinois and Missouri, 

 south to Florida, Blooms later than T. I'irginiana, 

 where the two occur together. June-Aug. 



5. Tradescantia rosea Vent. Roseate 

 Spiderwort. (Fig. 914.) 



Tradcscantia rosea Vent. PI. Xouv. Jard. Cels. />/. 

 24. 1800. 



Glabrous, stem very slender, erect, mostly 

 quite simple, 6 / -i2 / tall. Leaves very narrowly 

 linear, grass-like, nearly erect, channeled, 4'-~ f 

 long, i "-i^" wide, clasping at the base; bracts 

 very short and scarious; umbel terminal, long- 

 peduncled, few-flowered, subtended by small 

 pointed bracts; pedicels slender, short; sepals 

 lanceolate, acute, 2 / '-3 // long, shorter than the 

 petals; corolla rose-color, 6 // -8" broad; fila- 

 ments hairy; style slender, long-exserted. 



In dry woods, Maryland to Missouri, south to 

 Florida and Texas. April- Aug. 



