ORDER CXXXYI. COMMELYNACEiE. 547 



Order CXXXVI.— COMMELYNA'CE^E. (Spider-wort 

 Family.) 



Sepals 3, distinct. Petals 3, sometimes united at the base. 

 Stamens 6, or sometimes fewer, hypogynous, a part of them de- 

 formed or abortive. Ovary 3-celled, with few ovules in a cell. 

 Style 1. Stigma 1. Capsule 2 — 3-celled, with as many valves. 

 Seed anatropous, inserted by their whole side, on the inner an- 

 gle of the cell. Herbaceous plants. 



Genus L—COMMELY'NA. L. 3—1. 

 (In honor of J. & G. Commelyn, Dutch botanists.) 



Sepals 3. Petals 3. Stamens 6, usually 3 of them sterile 

 and furnished with cruciform glands. Capsule 3-celled, 3-valved. 



1. C. commu'nis, (L.) Stem prostrate, creeping, glabrous, much 

 branched, jointed. Leaves alternate, ovate-lanceolate, with cartilagin- 

 ous margins, sheathing, with the sheath ciliate. Flowers on peduncles, 

 opposite the loaves. Bracts ciliate. Sepals unequal, the lateral ones 

 large, obtuse. Petals unequal, the lateral ones rounded, spatulate, the 

 others reniform. Style blue. Seed 2 in a cell. — Light-blue. 0. June 

 — Nov. Wet grounds. 



2. C. erec'ta, (L.) Stem procumbent and erect, branching near the 

 base, slightly pubescent. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, slightly scabrous on 

 the upper surface, sheathing; sheath ciliate. Bracts cordate, inclosing 

 the flower before it expands. Sepals 3, oval, unequal, white. Petals 2, 

 one larger than the other. — Blue. 2£. May — June. Dry sandy soils. 

 12—18 inches. 



3. C. Virgin'ica, (L.) Stem erect, slightly pubescent, striate. Leaves 

 oblong, finely serrulate, scabrous, slightly hairy, sheathing at the base; 

 sheath ciliate. Flowers clustered, axillary, or terminal. Sepals 3, mem- 

 branaceous, unequal. Petals 5, unequal, lower one smallest. — Blue. 

 U- Aug. — Oct. Moist places. 2 feet. 



4. C. hirtel'la, (Vahl.) Stem erect, hairy. Leaves lanceolate, peti- 

 olate ; sheaths lateral and terminal, sessile. — July. In shaded, rocky 

 situations. 



5. C. angustifo'lia, (Mich.) Stem assurgent, branching, glabrous. 

 Leaves lanceolate, acuminate ;* sheaths hirsute, ciliate at the orifice. 

 Spathe cucullate, acuminate, subcordate-ovate. Sepals glabrous ; exte- 

 rior glandular, punctate ; interior petaloid, unequal, sessile. — Purple. 

 If. Carolina to Pennsylvania. 



Genus II.— TRADESCAN'TIA. L. 6—1. 

 (In honor of John Tradescant, gardener to Charles I.) 



Sepals 3. Petals 3. Stamens 6, villous, with jointed hair. 

 Style 1. Capsule 3-celled, many-seeded. 



1. T. Virgin'ica, (L.) Stem erect, branching, glabrous, succulent. 

 Leaves long, lanceolate, glabrous, sessile, channeled. Flowers in termi- 



