Commelynaccct' Commelyna. 537 



from Carolina, with pedunculate naked umbels of rosy 

 flowers. 



2. COMMELYNA. 



Closely allied to the last genus, but of a more dec ided trailing 

 habit, and with glabrous filaments. Named in honcar of the 

 Dutch botanists of this name. 



1. G. ccelestis, syn. C. tuberosa. The prettiest of the hardy 

 species. It is a dwarf much-branched plant with oblong- 

 lanceolate leaves and clusters of blue or white flowers issuing 

 from a spathe. It is a native of Mexico, and rather tender. 



ORDER XVI. JUNCACE2E. 



If we except Narthecium ossi/ragum, sometimes referred 

 here, and mentioned by us under the Liliacece, there are no 

 hardy ornamental species belonging to this order. And we 

 merely mention it to point out the difference between 

 these and the essentially giumiferous plants. We have here 

 a regular 6-partite perianth in two series, but the segments 

 are either green or brown and inconspicuous. The fruit too 

 in the indigenous genera L-iczula and Juncus is eapsular, 

 either 1 -celled and 3-seeded, or 3-celled and many-seeded, 

 and the leaves flat or listular. 



DIVISION II.GLUMIFER&. 



Perianth none or reduced to minute scales. Flowers en- 

 veloped in imbricated membranous or coriaceous bracts called 

 glumes. Fruit (in the orders referred to in this work) 1 -eel led, 

 1 -seeded, perianth-scales usually adhering to the seed. 



ORDER XVII. CYPERACEJE. 



The Sedges are distinguished from the true Grasses by their 

 usually angular solid not conspicuously jointed stems, and the 

 sheath of the leaves when present is not split on one side. 

 Leaves commonly very sharp at the edges. Anthers continuous 

 with the filaments. Inflorescence paniculate, irregularly clus- 

 tered, spicate or racemose. The greater number of the plants 



