1652 GXXXIX. COMMELINACEiE. [Commelina. 



2. C. ensifolia (sword shaped), B. Br. Prod. 269 ; Hook, in Fl. Brit. Ind: 

 vi. 374. Stems 12 to 18in. slender. Leaves 2 to 4in. long, 2 to 4 lines broad, 

 linear-lanceolate, glabrous, or with deciduous hairs, or villous. Spathas 4 to 8 

 lines, very shortly pedunculate, broadly ovate acute cucuUate, glabrous or bairy, 

 base truncate on one margin, hooked at the other; raceme simple. Capsule 

 2-cell3d. Seeds ellipsoid smooth.— Clarke Monogr. 188 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 

 83 (in part); C. striata, Wall. Cat. 8981 (in part); C. lunata, Heyne Mass. 

 Commelina sp. striata ajjinis, Edgw. in Trans. Linn. Soc. xx. 90. 



Hab.: Walsh Rivn, T. Barclay-Millar; .a,ni a few other northern localities. 

 T. P. Keys, of Camoweal, states that in times of scarcity of vegetable this plant is used 

 as a -vegetable under the name of " Scurvy-grass." 



3. C cyanea (blue), K. Br. Prod. 269 ; Eenth. Fl. Austr. vii. 84. Glabrous. 

 Stems weak, creeping and rooting at the base, ascending to 1 or 2ft. Leaves 

 ovate-lanceolate to narrow-lanceolate, acuminate, mostly 1| to Sin. long, very 

 shortly contracted at the base above the sheath. Spathas on short peduncles 

 opposed to the upper leaves, broad, shortly acuminate, deeply cordate at the base 

 with rounded auricles not connate, mostly f to lin. long. Peduncles 2, shorter 

 than the spathe below the articulation, but the pedicels protruding beyond it, one 

 peduncle with a single male flower or without any, the others with 2 or rarely 8 

 flowers on short pedicels. Outer perianth-segments under 8 lines, the inner twice 

 that diameter, those of each series nearly equal. Three perfect anthers, the 

 larger one sagittate, 2 or 3 staminodia. Ovary with 2 ovules in each of 2 cells, 

 1 only in the third. Capsule with the 2-seeded cells dehiscent, the third usually 

 indehiscent. Seeds more or less marked with small scattered pits. — C. communis, 

 F. v. M. Fragm. viii. 59, but not exactly the common Asiatic and African, C. 

 communis, Linn. 



Hab.: Brisbane River, Moreton Bay, F. v. Mueller; Warwick, Beckler ; Springsure, Wuth; 

 Rookhampton, Dallachy, O'Slianesy, and others; Rockingham Bay, Dallachy; Cape York, 

 Veitch. 



4. C. lanceolata (lanceolate), R. Br. Fred. 269 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 84. 

 Eesembles the slender narrow-leaved forms of C. cyanea, but the leaves appear to 

 be always narrow-linear or linear-lanceolate, and the upper ones at least 

 gradually enlarged at the base into a very short sheath without any contraction 

 above it. Spathas narrow and usually produced into a long point, cordate at the 

 base with free rounded auricles. Flowers like those of C. cyanea, but one of the 

 outer segments decidedly smaller and narrower than the others, the inner ones 

 nearly equal. Larger anther sagittate, with shorter diverging auricles. Capsules 

 ripening 1 or 2 seeds in each of 2 cells, the third cell remaining small and empty. 

 Seeds smooth or coarsely wrinkled, without raised reticulations, or pitted surface 

 like C. cyanea. — C. agrostopJiylla, F. v. M. Fragm. viii. 59. 



Hab.: Bustard Bay, Banks and Solander ; Port Curtis and Fitzroy Island, jH'GilUvray; 

 Normanton, F. J. C. Wildasli. 



3. ANEILEMA, E. Br. 



(Alluding to the flowers not having a spatha.) 

 (Aphylax, Salisb., name only ) 

 Perianth-segments all free, 3 outer ones membranous, concave, slightly imbri- 

 cate, 3 inner petal-like, obovate, nearly equal. Perfect stamens 3 or sometimes 

 only 2, on one side of the flower ; anthers ovate or oblong, the cells opening in 

 longitudinal slits ; staminodia 3 or 4 or only 2, with variously shaped imperfect 

 anthers. Ovary 3-celled or rarely 2-celled, with 1 to 5 ovules in each cell super- 

 posed in 1 or 2 rows ; style subulate with a small stigma. Capsule oblong ovoid 

 or nearly globular, opening in 3 or rarely 2 valves. Seeds 1 or more in each cell 

 superposed in a single row, almost cubical, usually rugose. — Weak herbs, with 



