MONOCOTYLEDONOUS PLANTS 27 



I. COMMELINA, DUl. 



Annual or perennial, stem branching, erect or procumbent, 

 smooth, or downy. Leaves petioled or sessile, entire, the 

 floral ones heart-shaped, folded, and forming a spathe enclos- 

 ing the base of the cymes. Flowers irregular, sepals mostly 

 colored, 1 of them smaller. Petals blue, unequal, 2 of them 

 kidney-shaped and long-clawed, the other smaller. Stamens 6, 

 only 3 of them fertile, filaments smooth. Capsule 1-3-celled, 

 seeds 1-2 in each cell.* 



1. C. virginica, L. Virginia Dayflower. Stem erect, downy, 

 1-2 ft. high. Leaves lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, taper-pointed, 

 3-5 in. long, somewhat rough above, sheaths inflated, hairy, 

 the opening often fringed. Spathes containing a slimy secretion. 

 Flowers 1 in. wide, the odd petal lanceolate. Capsulfr 3-seeded, the 

 dorsal cell not splitting open. On moist, sandy soil.* 



n. TRADESCAITTIA, L. 



Perennial, stem simple or branched. Leaves very narrow. 

 Flowers in terminal and axillary bracted umbels, regular, 



1 in. broad. Sepals 3, herbaceous. Petals 3, soon falling or 

 liquefying to jelly. Stamens 6, sometimes 3 shorter than the 

 others, filaments bearded or smooth. Ovary 3-celled, with 



2 ovules in each cell, pedicels recurved in fruit. Capsule 

 3-celled, 3-valved, 3-6-seeded.* 



1. T. virginica, L. Spiderwort. Stem erect, stout, smooth, 

 or with long, soft hairs, 1-2 ft. high. Leaves linear, keeled, often 

 purple-veined, long, taper-pointed, 1 ft. or more in length. Bracts 

 similar to the leaves, umbels sessile, 2-many-flowered, flowers in 2 

 rows in the bud. Petals blue or purple, twice as long as the sepals. 

 Stamens blue, filaments densely bearded. Capsule ovoid or oblong. 

 On dry, sandy soU.* 



2. T. pilosa, Lehm. Hairy Spiderwort. Stem stout, erect, or 

 zigzag, branched, with long, soft hairs, or nearly smooth, 1-2 ft. 

 high. Leaves linear- oblong, tapar-pointed at the apex, narrowed at 

 the base, hairy on both sides. Umbels axillary and terminal, many- 

 flowered. Pedicels and sepals with soft, glandular hairs. Flowers 

 blue or purple, f-1 in. wide. Seeds pitted. In rich soU.* 



