332 



COMMELYNACE.E. 



CoMMELYNA. 



Group 5. Flowers with a double or imbricated perianth : the exterior (calyx) 

 glumaceous or herbaceous ; the interior with the ordinary texture of petals. 

 Ovary free, 1 - 3-celled. Seeds orthotropous. — Herbs, often grass-like. 



Order CXXL COMMELYNACEjE. R. Br. The Spiderwort Tribe. 



Calyx of three herbaceous sepals. Petals 3, colored. Stamens 6 or fewer, 

 hypogynous, some of them abortive or deformed ( nectaries, Linn.) ; the 

 filaments often clothed with jointed hairs. Ovary 2 - 3-celled : style single : 

 stigma mostly entire. — Mucilaginous herbs. Leaves usually sheathed at the 

 base. 



1. COMMELYNA. Dillen. ; Endl. gen. 1028. day-flower. 



[Named in honor of two Dutch botanists, John and Gaspar Commelyn.] 



Petals unguiculate, deciduous ; one of them often differing in form from the others, or abortive. 

 Stamens 6 ; 3 or 4 of them abortive, with cruciform anthers. Capsule 3-celled ; the cells 

 1 - several-seeded. — Diffuse herbs, with lanceolate or ovate leaves and fasciculate flowers. 



1. Commelyna angustifolia, Michx. Narrow-leaved Day-flower. 



Assurgent ; leaves linear-lanceolate ; stems slender, rather smooth ; petals unequal, one of 

 them minute ; bracts broadly cordate, pedunculate. — Michx. ft. 1. p. 24 ; Pursh,fl. 1. p. 31 ; 

 Muhl. cat. p. 4 ; Beck, hot. p. 375 ; Torr. fl. 1 . p. 39 ; Kunth, enum. 4. p. 53. 



Root perennial, with fleshy fibres. Stem about a foot high, somewhat branching from the 

 base. Leaves 6-8 inches long and half an inch wide ; the border of the sheaths fringed with 

 ferruginous hairs. Involucre or bract somewhat falcate. Petals sky-blue, cordate ; the lower 

 one much smaller. Abortive stamens 4, consisting of blue filaments supporting cruciform 

 yellow anthers which produce no pollen ; one of them smaller than the others. Fertile stamens 

 2. Style slender : stigma simple. 



Borders of swamps about two miles from Flushing {Mr. P. Dudgeon). I have examined 

 specimens of this plant collected bv Mr. Dudgeon many years ago, but never was so fortunate 

 as to find it myself. 



2. TRADESCANTIA. Linn.; Endl gen. 1031. spider-wort. 



[ In honor of John Tbadescant, gardener to Charles I.] 

 Petals 3, sessile, marcescent. Stamens 6, all fertile ; the filaments bearded. Stigma obtuse, 

 triangular or dilated. Capsule 2 - 3-celled, with few seeds in each cell. — Flowers in 

 umbels or racemes, terminal or axillary. 



