Commelina.] olx COMMBLiNAOEJi. (J. D. Hooker.) 369 



dehiscent and forming a porsistenli ligulate body, from which the posticous 

 falls away. Seeds ellipsoid or angled, retiotdate pitted or rugose. — Species 

 aboat 90, all tropical and subtropical. 



G. caelesUs, Willd., a handsome robust pubescent or tomentose large>fld. species, 

 a native of Mexico, is cultivated in gardens, and occurs as an escape at Darjiling 

 and probably elsewhere. 



Subgen. 1. Didymoon^ Cla/rlee. Two anticous cells of the ovary 

 2-ovuled, posticous 1-ovuled or obsolete. 



Sect. I. Etjoommelina. Capsule 3-celled, two anticous cells locnlioidal, 

 each usually 2-seeded ; the posticous keeled, deciduous, at length dehiscent, 

 1-aeeded ; seeds free in the cells. Petals blue. 



* Spafhes complicate, ma/rgmfree or connate at the very base only. 



1. C. nudlflora^ Linn. Sp. Fl. 41 (not of others) ; leaves lanceolate, 

 spathes peduncled ovate-lanceolate complicate, seeds cylindric reticulate 

 black. C. communis, Walt. Fl. Carol. 68; Wall. Cat. 8978, D, E, 0; 

 Kunth Unum. iv. 36 (Uxcl. Syn.) ; Clarke Gomm. & Cyrt. Beng. t. i. ; 

 Monogr. 144, t. i. f. 6, 6. C. caespitosa, Boxh. Fl. Ind. i. 174, JEd. Wall. 

 If Carey, i. 178. C. diffusa, Burm. Fllnd. 18, t. 7, f. 2. 0. agraria, £^unfh 

 I. c. 38 ; Hassk. Commelin. Ind. 26 ; Webb & Berthel. Fhyt. Canair. iii. 356, 

 t. 238 ; Smb. in Mart. Fl. Bras. iii. i. 261, t. 36, f. 3. 0. salicifolia, Byer 

 Sort. Maurit. 360 ; Thwaites Enum. 321 (in part). 0. longicaulis, 

 Jacq. Coll. iii. 234, t. 294. 0. deficiens, Flor. des Serres, t. 1824 (not of 

 Hook.). 



Throughout the hotter parts of India from the Panjab to Obylon and 

 SiNaAPOBE.— DiSTBiB. tropics and subtropics. 



Stem creeping and rooting at the nodes or subscandent. Leaves 1^-3 by i-f in., 

 glabrous scaberulous or puberulous, ciliate. Spathes f-1 in., acute, base rounded or 

 cordate, glabrous or pubescent, striate; peduncle ^— } in., cymes 2, branches 1-3-fld. 

 Smaller petals blue, outer pale or white. 



Z. C. sikkimensls, Clarke Comm. & Cyrt. Beng. t. 6 ; Monogr. 147 ; 

 leaves lanceolate, spathes peduncled ovate-lanceolate complicate, seeds 

 pyramidal rugose. 



SiKKiM Himalaya, alt. 2-4000 ft. /. Z>. S. and Khasia Hills, alt. 3-1000 

 ft., Griffith. 



Stem slender, widely creeping and rooting. Leaves 2-3 by J- J in., base unequal 

 usually rounded. Spathes 1^2 in., glabrous or nearly so, acuminate, base cordate ; 

 peduncles i-1 in. ; cymes 2-fid upper branch 6-12-fld. Petals blue. Capsules 4-8. 

 Seeds puberulous, brown black. 



3. C. subulata, Both Nov. 8p. 23; slender, leaves linear, spathes 

 very small subsessile ovate-lanceolate falcate complicate, seeds pyramidal 

 rugose, Cla/rke Monogr. 148 ; Wall. Cat. 8979. 0. striata, & 0. subauran- 

 tiaca,'fibefegl »j«s. ; Kimth Ermm. iv. 44 & 658. 0. linearifolia, Kunth 

 I. c. 43. Tradescantia triflora, Seyne in Kerb. Bottl. : Schultesf. 8yst. vii. 

 1176, 



The Dbccan Penhtsttla, Eei/ne, Wight, ^■c.— Distbib. Trop. Africa. 



Stem erect from a, fibrous root, simple or branched. Leaves 1-3 by ^^ in., 

 acuminate, tips often hooked, nearly glabrous; sheaths very short, glabrous or 

 villously ciliate. Spathes i in. long, scattered or clustered, acute, pubescent, base 

 VOL.'vi. B b 



