OP ORNAMENTAL PERENNIALS. 337 
CHAPTER XLV. 
COMMELINACE^. 
Character of the Order. — Sepals three, distiuct from the petals, 
herbaceous. Petals coloured, sometimes cohering at the base. Sta- 
mens six, or a smaller number, hypogynous, some of them either 
deformed or abortive. Ovary three-celled, with few-seeded cells ; 
style one ; stigma one. Capsule two or three-celled, two or three- 
valved, the valves bearing the dissepiments in the middle. Seed* 
often twin, inserted by their whole side on the inner angle of the cell, 
whence the hilum is linear ; embryo pulley-shaped, antitropous, lying 
in a cavity of the albumen remote from the hilum ; albumen densely 
fleshy. {Lindlet/.) 
Description, &c. — All the plants belonging to this order are herbaceous, and their leaves generally sheath 
the stem at the base. Most of the species are natives of hot countries, and the only two genera which contain 
hardy ornamental herbaceous plants are Tradescantia and Commelina. 
GENUS I. 
TRADESCANTIA, Lin. THE SPIDER- WORT. 
Lin. Syst. HEXJlNDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Generic Character. — Perianth deeply six-parted, the inner seg- 1 six, spreading ; filaments fringed with articulated hairs ; anthers two- 
ments petal-like, and the outer ones forming a kind of calyx. Stamens j lobed, crescent-shaped ; pollen bright yellow. Capsuie three-celled. 
Description, &c. — Most of the species belonging to this genus are stove plants in British gardens. A few 
kinds, however, are hardy. The name of Tradescantia was given to this genus, in honour of John Tradescant, 
gardener to Charles I., in whose time the first species introduced was brought to England. The name of 
Spider-wort alludes to the appearance presented by the leaves of the plant when broken ; which, from their 
brittle and fleshy nature, often is the case. When this occurs, if the two broken parts of the leaf are drawn 
slowly apart, the spiral vessels are distinctly visible to the naked eye, and look very much like spiders' threads. 
1.— TRADESCANTIA VIRGINICA, Lin. THE COMMON SPIDER-WORT. 
Engravings. — Bot. Mag., t. 105 ; and o\yt fig. 1, in PI. 90. 
Specific Character Stem erect; scape many- flowered. 
Description, &c. — ^This is a well-known plant, which has been common in British gardens for more than 
200 years ; having been introduced by John Tradescant, gardener to Charles I., about 1629. There are several 
varieties, one of which has purple flowers, and another white flowers ; the flowers of the species being of a 
beautiful bright blue. The flowers are very ornamental, but last a very short time. The plant is a native of 
Virginia, and it is quite hardy in British gardens. It is propagated by dividing the roots. 
OTHER SPECIES OF TRADESCANTIA. 
T. ROSEA, Miehx. ; Sweet's Brit. Flow. Gard., t. 183. 
A pretty little plant, with small rose-coloured flowers, which it produces from August till October. It is a 
native of Carolina, whence it was introduced in 1802. It grows best in peat. 
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