388 cLx. COMMELINACB^. (J. D. Hooker.) [Gyanotis. 



I. c. 100. C. rosea, WigM lo. t. 2086. 0. eriantha and C. disrumpens (in 

 part), and C. Thwaitesii, Massk. I. c. 62, 138, 105, 136. Tradesoantia 

 fasciculata, Seyne in Both Nov. Sp. 189. T. rupestris ?, Law in Grah. Cat. 

 Bomb. Fl. 223. ' 



The Deooan Peninsula ; common in rocky places from the Coacaa sonbhwards. 

 Ceylon ; abundant in the Central province. 



Annual j roots fibrous. Stem 4-18 in. Leaves 1-2 by |^-i in. Bracts about 

 twice as long as the small cyme, silky or cobwebby. Petals rose-purple. Filaments 

 bearded. 



A very variable plant, of which there are the three following varieties : — 

 P glatrescens (from Belgaum) with linear glabrous leaves, glabrous bracts and 

 woolly bracteoles ; y rosea (C. rosea, WigM) (from the Bolampntty hills in Travan- 

 core) (of which no specimens exist in Wight's Herbarium) with sessile ovate-cordate 

 obtuse leaves according to the description, but linear leaves in the plate ; and 

 S Thwaitesii (from Belgaum, Courtallam and Ceylon), with dense divaricate 

 branches, to which belongs Tradesoantia rupestris, Law, and which appears to be 

 intermediate between C. arachnoidea and fasciculata. Wight describes rosea, 

 Lawiana and dichotriclta as all of them succulent, as does Dalzell his hispida. Of 

 Lamiana Wight describes the style as simple (not thickened) but figures it as 

 fusiform above. 



Sect. II. Dalzellia. Flowers solitary or in terminal or subterminal 

 few-fld. oymules, bracts and bracteoles small not inabrioate in 2 series. 



13. C. kewensis, Clarke Monogr. '2,4i'&, Tab. 5, f. 6; villous, stem 

 stout prostrate densely leafy, leaves bifarionsly imbricate sessile ovate- 

 cordate acute bright red beneath, sheaths very short, flowers few terminal 

 shortly pedicelled, filaments bearded. Belosynapsis kewensis, Sassk. in 

 Flora, 1871, 259. Erythrotis Beddomei, Sook. f. Bat. Mag. t. 6150. 



Tbavancoee ; on the Myhendra Mts., alt. 3-4000 ft., lieddome. 



Stem and branches 6-10 in., pendulous, with ascending tips, rooting below. 

 Leaves 1-li in., rather fleshy, green and convex above, hairs rufous when di'y, 

 sheaths \ in., ribbed, ciliate. Flowers 1-2 together in the uppermost axils; pedicel 

 and 3 ovate sepals hispid ; petals free, rose-purple ; filaments bearded with blue 

 hairs, anthers yellow ; ovary hispid, style filiform naked. Capsule oblong, obtuse, 

 tip villous. Seeds short, obsoui-ely 2-pitted on the inner face. 



14. C. vivipara, Balz. in Sook. Journ. Bot. 1851, 226; epiphytic, 

 Bubscapigerons, radical leaves ensiform, flowering stems numerous very 

 slender flexuous pendulous with small distant leaves and few very small 

 flowers. Dalz. & Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 255 ; Clarke Monogr. 244, t. 5, f. 5. 

 Dalzellia vivipara, Massk. in Flora, 1865, 594 ; Commelin. Ind. 161. 



Tlie CoNCAN ; in the Syhadri hills, on trees. Law, Dalzell. 



MootstocTt, small with tufts of pilose radical leaves 3-5 by i-Jin. Scapes several, 

 rooting and viviparous at the nodes, almost filiform ; cauline leaves very small, 

 sheaths very short. Flowers 2-3 on a subterminal peduncle; bracts small, oblong, 

 iicute; pedicels and sepals villous. Petals white, connate to the middle; style 

 filiform, naked. Capsule ^^ in. long, oblanceolate. Seeds cylindric, smooth. 



Sect. III. OcHEEiuriOEA. Flowers axillary in the sheaths of the leaves ; 

 bracteoles small slender not imbricating. (See also C. villosa.) 



15. C- axillaris, Boem. Sf Sch. 8^si. vii. 1154; stem elongate glabrous 

 or sparsely hairy, leaves elongate linear or iinear-lanceolate, flowers 

 clustered in the short inflated sheaths, filaments bearded, style glabrous 

 fihform, capsule acute, seels subcylindric punctate. Clarke Monogr. 244 ; 



