124 
The Ohio Naturalist. 
[Vol. XIII, No. 6, 
2. Heteranthera R. & P. 
Aquatic herbs with creeping, ascending or floating stems with 
petioled cordate, ovate, oval or reniform leaves; or with grass-like 
leaves. 
1. Heteranthera dubia (Jacq.) Mac. M. Water Stargrass. 
A slender forked herb, often rooting at the nodes. Leaves flat, 
elongated, acute, with thin sheathes and stipule-like appendages; 
spathe 1-2 flowered, flowers light yellow, stigma lobed, fruit a 
unilocular capsule. Growing in still water. Rather general. 
Commelinaceae. Spiderwort Family. 
Perennial or annual leafy herbs. Inflorescence an umbel-like 
cyme of bisporangiate, showy, flowers, subtended by spathe-like 
or leafy bracts; sepals 3, persistent; petals 3, membranous, dele- 
quescent; stamens 6, sometimes 3 of them sterile; ovulary bi- or 
tri-locular; capsule loculicidal; endosperm copious and mealy. 
1. Bracts leaf-like, stamens 6, petals all alike. Tradescanlia. (1) 
1. Bracts spathe-like stamens 3. Commelina. (2) 
1. Tradescantia L. Spiderwort. 
Herbs with simple or branched stems, somewhat mucilaginous; 
leaves rather narrow and elongated; inflorescence in terminal or 
axillary cymes subtended by bracts; perianth of 3 sepals and 3 
petals; stamens (3, usually all alike, bearded; ovulary triolcular; 
capsule loculocidal. 
1. Leaves linear, 12-50 times longer than broad, stems elongated. 2. 
1. Leaves lanceolate, 2-10 times longer than broad, and zigzag. T. pilosa. 
2. Foliage glaucous pedicle glabrous, sepals often with a tuft of hairs at 
the apex. T. reflexa. 
2. Foliage bright green, peduncles and sepals villous with non-glandular 
hairs. T. virginiana. 
1. Tradescantia reflexa Raf. Reflexed Spiderwort. A slender, 
glabrous, glaucous herb. Leaves narrow, linear-attenuate, strong¬ 
ly involute, rather rigid with sheaths; inflorescence a densely- 
flowered cyme; 2 involucral bracts reflexed; sepals glabrous 
except the tips which are tipped with tufts of hairs; petals blue. 
In sandy or loamy soil. Ashtabula, Erie, Mahoning, Richland, 
Coshocton, Licking, Franklin, Auglaize. 
2. Tradescantia virginiana L. Virginia Spiderwort. A stout 
bright-green herb, glabrous or slightly pubescent; leaves nearly 
flat, linear-lanceolate, long acuminate; bracts leaf-like, inflores¬ 
cence usually a solitary, terminal cyme; pedicels and sepals 
villous; petals blue or purple, showy. In rich soil in woods and 
along railroads. General as far north as Auglaize and Stark. 
