es Wate Peace eer ee ae ee 
ee ee eat 
Commelina. | COMMELINACE” (Clarke). 9 
5 seeds; surface of the 4 scattered wie Magen Sem reticulated. 
Hook. FA Fl. Brit. Ind. vi. 369. C. agra Kunth, Enum. iv. 38. 
C. communis, Walter, Fl. Carol. 68 ; C. 'B. Clarke, Comm. et Cyrt. 
ie tc (on C. arise excl.). 
R. B, C. na (Hassk. in eprige won oe re 206) ; leaves large, 
stiuethcenae goons at base, up t by 1 
Eastern Recion: Natal; coast-la aa: = Sut ath nad! Inanda, 1800 fee 
Wood, 94! 1615! and without precise locality, eee rd, 1838! Zululand. 
Gerrard, 1839! Var. 8, Natal, Sutherland! Sanderso 
Distributed throughout Africa, and in nearly all warm countries. Var. f, in 
A frica only, 
2. C. subulata (Roth, Nov. Pl. Sp. 23); erect, nearly glabrous ; 
stem 6—12 in. long; leaves linear; spathes 2 in. long, scattered, nearly 
nerve curved ; lower cyme often wanting; flowers small; capsule 
perfecting 5 (or 3) seeds ; surface of the scattered — Hosea 
grooved, ane rugged. Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. v 
Kat Gon: Transvaal; Bosch Veld, Rehmann, vr rene: 
iohciewa: e767 Hooge Veld, Rehnaa n, 6669 ! 
Distributed throughout Africa, and in the Deccan of India. 
C. benghalensis (Linn. Sp. Pl. ed. 2,60); diffuse ; stem 6—12 in. 
long, hfe rooting at the knots; leaves ovate, su ddenly narrowed at base, 
‘the quasi-petioles often with bright fulyous-red hairs, sometimes nearly 
glabrous ; ae oblique funnel-shaped, sessile or peduncled, solitary 
or 2-3 clos e together; capsule perfecting (usually) 5 seeds; surface 
of seeds wrinkled or strongly reticulate. hunb. Fl. Cap. e 
Schultes, — C. B. Clarke, Comm. et Cyrt. Beng. t. 4; Hook. f. Fl 
Brit. Ind. 370. C. canescens, Vahl, Enum, i. 173; Webb et 
Berth. les ‘Otanaries, Phyt. iii. pt. ii. 358, t. 239. 
South Arrica: Drége, te od 
Coast Reeion: Knysna Div., Reh mn, 504! Uitenhage Div., Ecklon and 
Zeyher, 594! Harvey! Port Elizabeth, hy 8. C. A. Herb., 208! Fort Beaufort Div., 
a 553! 
bin ~ teres Somerset Div. ; Bosch Berg, Burchell, 3177! 3216! 
Eas nw Reeion: Tembuland ; Bazeia, 2000 ft., Baur, 86! Natal; Inanda, 
Wood, 1237 ! ! and wile precise locality, ‘Sanderson ! Zululand, Gerrard, 1840! 
Found throughout Africa, and thence to Japan and the Moluccas. 
This plant, both in Africa and India, often produces at base nearly leafless shoots 
hint abnormal flowers ; these burrow into the earth and there mature small 
abnormal re of 1-2 <li: 1-2 
in 
corolla yellow ; filaments 3 in. long ; capsule tough, perfecting 1 seed 
in the indehiseent dorsal cell 2-3 lines long ; the 4 ovules of the two 
anterior cells enlarging, usually present, brown in the ripe capsule, but 
quite phere ne Thunb. Fl. Cap. ed. Schultes, 294 ; Gaertn. Fruct. 
i. 50, t. 15, fig. 1. oleides africana, Medicus in ’ Rim. § Uster, 
Mag. St. x. 124. 
