Obdbb 162.— COMMKLYNACE^. 737 



late ; sheath open, oiliate ; spathe opposite the leayes, roundish-cordate, compli- 

 cate ; pod. in pairs, 1 to 3-fiowered ; petals unequal (blue), the. odd one reniform ; 

 sop. (pale) the 2 lateral larger, connate below. — In wet grounds, Car. and Ga. 

 Prostrate and spreading 1 to 3f. Lvs. 3 to 5' long. Jn. — S'ov. (Elliott.) 



2 C. agr Jria Kunth. St. procumbent, glabrous, branched ; lvs. ohhng or oblong- 

 ovate, obtuse, iJie upper short-petiokd ; sheaths ciliate ; spathe opposite the leaves, 

 cordate-ovate, acuminate, complicate, 3 to 4-flowered ; odd petal (blue) roundish- 

 ovate. — River banks, S. 111. to La. Sts. If or more in length. Lvs. small (15 to 

 30" long). Fls. often polygamous. Sop. pale. Two of the (blue) petals clawed. 

 (C. Cajennensis Rich.) 



3 C Virglnioa L. St. assurgent, branching, subgeniculate ; lvs. lanceolate, 

 subpetiolate, sheaths split to the base ; spathe broad-cordate, distinct and open 

 at base (except a short cohesion), enfolding 2 peduncles and several flowers ; ped- 

 icels contorted ; pet. unequal, the lower one much smaller, unguiculate. — Dir soils 

 Middle! Southern and Western States! Plant nearly smooth, 12 — 18 high, 

 glabrous. Leaves 3 — 5' by 8 — 14", varying from lauoe-linear to lance-ovate. 

 Spathe veiny, 3 — 5-flowered. Jl., Augi» (C. angustifolia Mx.) 



4 C hirt^lla Vahl. Strictly erect, tall, and conspicuously pubescent; lvs. long- 

 tanceolate, sheaths densely rusty-boarded at the throat ; spathe subsessile, small, 

 clustered at the summit of the stela ; petals subequal. — In shady woods, Va. to S. 

 Car. St. 2 to 3f high, rather thick and firm. Lvs. 5 to 8' long, both sides hairy. 

 Spathe Bubreniform when open, 5" long, glabrous, colored, base lobes oucuUate, 

 slightly united. — Hardly distinct from iTo. 1. 



5 C. er^cta L. St. erect, branched at base, ciliate-pubesoent ; lvs. lanceolate, 

 subpetiolate, sheaths entire, elongated, ciliate-pilous ; spathe deltoid-falcate, united 

 and entire at base as if peltate, about 2-flowered ; pet. nearly equal. — Rocky 

 woods, thickets, Penn. (Muhl. ) Harper's Ferry to Ga. St. simple or branched at 

 base, upright, 1 — 2f high. Leaves 3 — 5' by 6 — 12", usually lanceolate, pilous- 

 scabrous, tho sheaths 9 to 11" long. Spathe broadly funnel-shaped. JL, Aug. 

 (0. Virginica Ph.) 



S. ANGUSTlpfiLlA. Of very slender habit, with lance-linear lvs. and the spatho 

 conspicuously arcuate (hawk -bill-shape). — Southern. 



2. TRADESCAN'TIA, L. Spiderwort. (Named in honor of John 

 Tradescant, gai'dcner to Charles I.) Flowers regular ; sepals persis- 

 tent ; petals large, suborbicular, spreading ; filaments clothed with 

 jointed hairs ; anthers reniform. — 2f Fls. in terminal, close umbels, sub- 

 tended by 2 or 3 long, leafy bracts. 



* Uihbela BeseilG, termfniil and nxlllary^ -with leaf-like bracts Nos. 1, 3 



* Umbel long-pedunculate, terminal and axillary, bractlesa No. 3 



1 T. Virginica L. St. erect, simple or branched ; lvs. lance-linear, or linear 

 channeled above, sessile, oiliate or glalJrous ; fls. in a terminal, subumbellate dus- 

 ter, pedicels finally elongated and reflexed; cal. pubescent. — Moist meadows, 

 prairies, &c.. Mid., W. and S. States common. Stem thick, round, jointed, 2 — 3f 

 high. Leaves numerous, 12 — 18' b/ 6 — 12", the bracts similar. Petals largo, 

 suborbicular, of a deep, rich blue, soon fadmg. May — Aug. — The juice of the 

 plant is viscid and spins into thread ; hence the common name. 



2 T. pildsa Lehm. St. erect, smoothish, bractlets hairy ; lvs. lanceolate viith a 

 narrow base, long-acuminate, complicate, on a loose sheath, and pilous both sides, 

 the floral like the rest ; umbels both terminal and axillary, many-flowered, dens.- ; 

 pedicels and sepals glandular-hairy. — Shady river banks, 111. to Ohio and La. f^i. 

 2f high. Lvs. 4 to T by 6 to 12", sheaths entire, 8 to 10" long. Fls.' in tho 

 upper axils, small, bluish purple. 



3 T. rdsea Mx. St. erect, simple ; lvs. linear, glabrous, channeled, amplesicaul ; 

 ped. elongated ; cal. glabroua — Penn. to Ga., in moist woods. Stem 8 — 12' high- 

 Leaves 6 — 8' by 2 — 3'. Umbel terminal, subtended by 2 or 3 subulate bracts. 

 Pedicels nearly 1' long. Flowers much smaller than in tho preceding species. 

 Petals rose-colored, twice longer than the smooth calyx. May. 



