120 COMMELYNA VIRGINICA.— COMMON DAY-FLOWER. 
Botany” he has it Commelyina—the latter doubtless an oversight, 
but a curious one as though intended to combine both forms. 
The student may learn from this little sketch of the family name 
that it requires great care in history to avoid error, and that it 
is always well not to take even the most careful authorities 
in final judgment when any opportunity offers for review. 
Commelyna has been taken as the type of the natural order 
Commelynacee, the only other genus of the order in our country 
being 7radescantia, and these are particularly interesting through 
being the most northern representatives of the order. It is not 
a very extensive family, there being not more than two dozen 
good genera in the whole; but of these the chief are inhabitants 
of the East and West Indies. The order is also well represented 
in Africa. It is one of great interest to botanists, as being an 
advance from simpler organisms towards true Lilies. There is, 
however, 2 distinct calyx and corolla, while in the six parted peri- 
anth of the true Lily these distinctions are nearly abolished. 
From its neighbor 7yadescantia it is readily distinguished by its 
irregular corolla, In the latter the petals are of one uniform 
size, and set at regular distances from one another. 
The roots of our common day-flower make a nutritious vege- 
table when cooked, but it is not in use because other vegetables 
of a similar character successfully compete with it. 
It is found along the eastern seaboard States from Florida to 
New York, thence westwardly to Michigan, and southwardly east 
of the Mississippi river. 
