Order 152.— COMMELTNACB^. 727 



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

 cate ; ped. in pairs, 1 to 3-flowered ; petals unequal (blue), the odd one renifonn ; 

 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. — Kov. (BUiott.) 



2 C. agraria Kunth. St. procumbent, glabrous, branched ; lvs. ohlong or oblong- 

 ovate, obitise, the wpper ahort-petioled ; sheaths ciliate ; spathe opposite the leaves, 

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

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

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

 (C. Cajennensis Rich.) 



3 C. Virginioa 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. — Dry soils 

 Middle 1 Southern and Western States! Plant nearly smooth, 12 — 18' high, 

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

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



4 C. hirtella Tahl. Strictly erect, tall, and conspicuously pubescent; lvs. long- 

 lauoeolale, sheaths densely rusty-bearded at the throat ; spathe sabsessile, small, 

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



. Car. St. 2 to 3f high, rather thick and firm. Lvs. 6 to 8' long, both sides hairy. 

 Spathe subreniform when open, 5" long, glabrous, colored, base lobes cucullate, 

 slightly united. — Hardly distinct from No. 1. 



5 C. erecta L. St. erect, branched at base, ciliate-pubescent ; lvs. lanceolate, 

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

 and entire at base as if peltate, about 2-f}owered ; 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, the sheaths 9 to 11" long. Spathe broadly funnel-shaped. JL, Aug. 

 (C. Virginiea Ph.) 



,8. ANGUSTiFdLiA. Of Very slender habit, with lance-linear lvs. and the spathe 

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



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

 Tradescant, gardener to Charles I.) Flowers regular ; sepals persis- 

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

 jointed hairs ; anthers renifornj. — 21 Fls. in terminal, close umbels, sub- 

 tended by 2 or 3 long, leafy bracts. 



* Umbels sessile, terminal and axillary, with leaf-like bracts Nos. 1, 2 



* LTmbei long-pedunculate, terminal and axillary, bractless No. 3 



1 T. Virginiea L. St. erect, simple or branclied; lvs. lan^e-linear, or linear 

 channeled above, sessile, ciliate or glabrous ; fls. in a terminal, suburabellate clus- 

 tfer, 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' by 6 — 12", the bracts similar. Petals large, 

 suborbicular, of a deep, rich blue, soon fiiding. May — Aug — ^The juice of tho 

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



2 T. pilosa Lehm. St. erect, smoothish, bractlets hairy ; lvs. lanceolate with a 

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

 the floral like tlie rest ; umbels botli terminal and axillary, many-flowered, dense ; 

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

 2f high. Lvs. 4 to 7' by 6 to 12", sheaths entire, 8 to 10" long. Fls. in the 

 upper axils, small, bluish purple. 



3 T. rosea Mx. St. erect, simple ; lvs, linear, glabrous, channeled, amplexicaul ; 

 ped. elongated ; cal. glabrous. — 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 the preceding species. 

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



