COMMELINACEAE 



271 



1. Streplolirion volubile Edgew. Aoi-kazura. Nearly 

 glabrous herb; leaves long-petioled, the petiole 3-6 cm. long, 

 the sheath usually truncate at apex, ciliate, 1-2 cm. long, the 

 blade 5-8 cm. long, 3-5 cm. wide, abruptly long-acuminate, 

 deeply cordate at base, minutely ciliate on margin, sometimes 



with long hairs above; flowers 2 or 3, white, 5-6 mm. across; 

 sepals 1- to 3-nerved, obtuse, about 4 mm. long; filaments 

 curled-pubescent; capsule 8-11 mm. long including the termi- 

 nal beak, glabrous. Aug.-Oct. Honshu (Bitchu and Bingo 



Prov.). China and India. 



3. COMMELINA L. Tsuyu-kusa Zoku 



Small to large herbs; stems usually procumbent and rooting at die nodes; leaves lanceolate to ovate, the petiole forming a 

 sheath around the stem ; cymes usually dichotomous, several-flowered, subtended by a leaflike bract folded once to form a large 

 spathe; sepals 3, membranous, the lateral 2 connate at base; petals 3, the lateral 2 large, often clawed at base; perfect stamens 3, 

 the staminodes 2 or 3; ovary 2- or 3-locular, 2 of the locules with 1 or 2 ovules, die other one, if present, sterile or witli 1 ovule; 

 seeds wrinkled or pitted. About 180 species, chiefly in tropical regions, a few in warm-temperature areas. 



lA. Spathe connate on lower margin. 



2A. Leaves ovate or broadly ovate, obtuse; capsule 5-seeded 1. C. benghalensis 



2B. Leaves broadly lanceolate, acute; capsule 3-seeded 2. C. auriciilata 



IB. Spathe not connate on margin; leaves lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, acute to gradually acuminate at apex. 



3A. Spathe narrowly ovate, gradually tapering from the rounded base to an acute apex 3. C. diffusa 



33. Spathe broadly cordate, with a cordate base, rounded or nearly so at apex 4. C. communis 



1. Commelina benghalensis L. Maruba-tsuyu-kusa. when unfolded, glabrous; flowers blue, small; capsule 3-locu- 



A more or less pubescent annual; stem creeping or ascending, lar, 5-seeded; seeds elevate-reticulate. Aug.-Oct. Reported 



branching; leaves ovate to broadly ovate, 3-5 cm. long, 1.5-3 to occur in Kyushu (Yakushima). Ryukyus (Amami- 



cm. wide, obtuse at apex, abrupdy contracted at base; spathe Oshima and southw.), Formosa; widely distributed in the 



obtriangular, more or less ampliate above, 1-1.5 cm. long and Tropics. 



as wide, somewhat puberulent and sparsely pilose externally; 4. Commelina communis L. Tsuyo-kusa. Nearly 



flowers rather small, 8-10 mm. across, pale blue; seeds trans- glabrous green annual; stem creeping and branching below, 



versely short-wrinkled. July-Oct. Honshu (s. Kanto Distr. ascending above, 15-50 cm. long; leaves soft but rather thick, 



and westw.), Shikoku, Kyushu. Widely distributed in ovate-lanceolate, abruptly acute at apex, subabruptly narrowed 



tropical regions of Asia and Africa. below to a membranous sheath with long-pubescent mouth, 



2. Commelina auriculata Bl. C. bltimei Dietr. Ho- 5-7 cm. long, 1-2.5 cm. wide, glabrous; spathe broadly cordate, 



RAi-TsuY'u-Kus.'i. Nearly glabrous or sparsely pilose annual; rounded or with a short cusp at apex, nearly 2 cm. long, gla- 



stems creeping, branched below; leaves broadly lanceolate, brous or loosely pubescent outside; flowers blue, about 12 mm. 



acute, 3r-6 cm. long, 1-2 cm. wide, more or less oblique at base; across, the 2 lateral petals large and orbicular, clawed at base, 



spathe obliquely obtriangular, usually more or less pilose, 7-10 the central one small and usually white. June-Sept. Rather 



mm. long and as wide; flowers blue; seeds nearly smooth but common in pardy shaded grassy places, cultivated fields, and 



densely puberulent. Aug. Kyushu (Yakushima) s. roadsides in lowlands and hills; Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, 



Asia. Kyushu. Sakhalin, Ussuri, Korea, Manchuria, China to 



3. Commelina diffusa Burm. C. nudiflora, sensu Siberia, and the Caucasus. 



Burm. f.; C. ochreata Schauer; C. salicijolia sensu Benth., non Var. ludens (Miq.) C. B. Clarke. C. ludens Miq.; C. com- 



Roxb. Shima-tsuyu-kusa. Nearly glabrous annual herb munis var. angtistijolia Nakai Hosoea-tsui'u-kusa. Leaves 



resembling the preceding species, but the spathe longer, the narrow, puberulent beneath; spathe also more or less narrow 



margins not connate in front; stem creeping, ascending above, and puberulent. Mountainous districts. 



branching below; leaves lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, 4-6 Cv. Hortensis. C. communis var. hortensis Makino 



cm. long, 1-2 cm. wide, gradually acute to acuminate; spathe 0-e6shibana. A cultivated phase with large showy flowers 



broad, rounded or shallowly cordate at base, gradually tapering yielding a blue dye from the corolla, 

 above to a rather acute apex, 2-3 cm. long, 1.5-2 cm. wide 



4. ANEILEMA R. Br. Ibo-kusa Zoku 



Soft, simple or branching herbs, often with a bulbous root; flowers in terminal and lateral paniculate inflorescences, usually 

 ephemeral, subtended by nonspathaceous bracts and bracteoles; sepals 3, free, membranous; petals 3, obovate, unequal, or all 

 equal in lengdi and width; stamens 2 or 3, the filaments sometimes bearded, the anthers oblong; staminodes 2-4; ovary sessile, 

 2- or 3-locular, the ovules few to rather numerous in each locule. About 60 species, chiefly in tropical regions. 



lA. Annual herb without rosulate leaves at base; flowers solitary, rarely 2 or 3, axillary; sepals 4-6 mm. long; leaf-blades glabrous. 



1. A. Ifeisttk. 



IB. Perennial herb with rosulate leaves at base; flowers several, on a one-sided, short-pcdunclcd cyme; sepals 3-4 mm. long; leaves sparsely 



ciliate 2. A. niidiflorum 



1. Aneilema keisak Hassk. Murdannia l{eisa\ (Hassk.) 

 Hand.-Mazz.; A. japonicum sensu Nakai, excl. syn.; A. oligan- 



thum Fr. & Sav. Ibo-kusa. Juicy, soft annual widiout 



rosulate leaves; stem 10-30 cm. long, decumbent and branch- 



ing below, with a puberulent longitudinal stripe on one side; 

 leaves lanceolate, more or less spreading, flat to slightly folded, 

 gradually attenuate above to a rather obtuse apex, usually gla- 

 brous, the sheaths 5-10 mm. long, coarsely pubescent in front; 



