COMMELINACÉES. 211 
GENERA 
IL. TRADESCANTIEÆ. 
1. Tradescantia L. — Flores hermaphroditi v. raro polygami; 
receptaculo parvo convexo. Sepala 3, subæqualia concava (viridia v. 
colorata) plus minus late imbricata, raro subvalvata. Petala alterna 3, 
majora, obovata v. orbicularia, tenuiter membranacea (colorata) 
marcescentia imbricala, sæpe corrugata. Stamina 6, hypogyna, aut 
subæqualia, aut oppositipetala majora; filamentis nudis v. varie bar- 
bats (pilis moniliformibus) ; antherarum loculis plerumque connectivo 
lato sejunctis, ad margines obliquis v. arcuatis, nunc demum ob con- 
neclivum intus plicatum approximatis, ad margines rimosis. Antheræ 
nunc heteromorphæ. Germen liberum, 3-loculare; loculis alterni- 
Pelalis; stylo brevi v. elongato subulato, apice minuto stigmatoso 
lruncato, capitellato v. obscure 3-lobo, nunc plus minus arcuato. 
Ovula in loculis 2, angulo interno superposite inserta (nunc raro 3-8), 
sessilia orthotropa; micropyle apicali extrorsum lateral. Fructus 
Capsularis, 3-locularis, loculicidus. Semina in loculo quoque 1, 2, su- 
pérposita (raro ultra); hilo ventrali lineari; integumento (fuscato) 
reticulato, rugoso, foveolato v. ab embryostega extus laterali radiatim 
Sulcato; albumine carnoso v. duro ; embryone apicali, hilo opposito 
subque embryostega horizontali trochleari. — Herbæ perennes, sæpe 
basi radicantes; radicibus crebris nune tuberosis; ramis aeriis erectis 
v.diffusis adscendentibus, simplicibus v. superne ramosis; foliis variis 
alternis vaginatis; petiolo brevi v. O0; floribus in cymas Î-paras 
umbelliformes secus rachin brevissimam congestis; cymis aut axilla- 
ribus, aut in racemum terminalem plus minus compositum dispo- 
SUS; pedicellis variis v. subnullis, nune raro in eyma quaque solitariis. 
(America trop. et calid, utraque.) — Vid. p. 200. 
