COMMELINACEAE 137 



perfect. Sepals short, imbricate. Petals violet, free, erect, supplied at 

 the base with 2 small scales. Stamens 6. Ovary inferior, fleshy, the baSe 

 broad, adnate 'to or immersed in the fleshy rachis; style filiform. Fruit 

 fleshy, cone-like, composed of the densely spirally arranged, connate, 

 mature ovaries and fleshy rachis, the bracteoles persistent, and crowned 

 by a rosette of reduced leaves. (From a native American name.) 



A single variable species,, native of South America, now cultivated in 

 all tropical countries. 



,1. A. SATivrs Schultz {Ananassa sativa Lindl.). Pina (Sp.) ; Pineapple. 



Leaves numerous, linear-lanceolate, 1 to 1.5 m long, 5 to 7 cm wide, 

 acuminate, the margins sharply spiny-toothed, green and shining on the 

 upper surface'; the lower surface pale beneath, those subtending the in- 

 florescence red, at least at the base, much reduced. Stem erect, 0.5 to 

 1.5 m high, tie'ads terminal, solitary, ovoid, 6 to 8 cm long, much enlargeid 

 in fruit; bracteoles reddish, numerous, triangular-ovate to oblong-ovate, 

 acute, imbricated. Sepals 3, ovate, thick, fleshy, about 1 cm long. Petals 

 3, oblanceolate, about 2 cm long, white below, violet-purple above. Mature 

 fruit up to 20 cm long or more. (Fl. Filip. pi. 5^.8, Ananassa sativa.) 



Commonly cultivated, fl. Jan.-Apr. ; throughout the Philippines in cul- 

 tivation and in some places, at least, subspontaneous. Introduced by the 

 Spaniards at an early date. 



21. COMMELINACEAE (Spiderwort OR Alicbangon 



Family) 



Herbs, sometimes suffrutescent, spreading, ascending, or sometimes 

 climbing. Leaves entire, more or less succulent, parallel-veined, sheathing 

 at the base. Inflorescence fascicled, cymose, or paniculate, axillary or 

 terminal. Flowers perfect, irregular or nearly regular. Sepals 3, usually 

 green, persistent or deciduous. Petals 3, white, purplish, or yellow, free 

 or united in a tube below. Stamens 6, inserted on the base of the segments, 

 all perfect o^ 2 or more reduced to staminodes, the filaments often bearded. 

 Ovary free, superior, 2- or 3-celled; ovules 1 or few in each cell. Capsule 

 loculicidal or indehiscent. 



Genera about 26, species more than 300, tropical and subtropical, 7 

 genera and about 20 species in the Philippines. 



1. Fertile stamens 3 or 2, staminodes or imperfect stamens 1 to 3. 



2. Flowers included in spathe-like bracts 1. Commelina 



2. Flowers panicled or axillary, spathe-like bracts none. 2. Aneilema 



1. Fertile stamens 6. 

 2. Petals free or nearly free; flowers numerous, crowded in compressed, 

 spathe-like, axillary bracts; oviry-cells 1-ovuled; cultivated only. 



3. Rhoeo 

 2. Petals more or less united into a tube. 

 3. Sepals free or united only at the base; inflorescence 1- to several- 

 flowered, from imbricating bracts; leaves green 4. Cyanotic 



3. Sepals united into a tube; flowers beteween the two terininal leaves, 

 not bracteate; leaves green and purple with paler stripes. 



5. Zebrina 

 1. COMMELINA Linnaeus t-TvA^€SCi 



Usually .slender herbs, the stems more or less branched, succulent, pros- 

 trate and rooting below. Flowers blue, in usually 2-flowered cymes, emerg- 



