COMMELYNACE J2. 
323 
Order XCI. COMMELYNACE.®. 
Flowers dichlamydeous, hermaphrodite. Sepals small, membranous, 
persistent. Petals bright coloured, equal or unequal, fugitive, deci- 
duous, usually free. Stamens 6, hypogynous, some often imperfect ; 
filaments filiform, often bearded with jointed hairs ; anthers 2-celled, 
usually introrse. Ovary free, 3-celled ; ovules usually few ; style 
filiform; stigma capitate. Capsule 3-celled, with loculicidal dehiscence. 
Seeds with abundant fleshy albumen ; embryo in a cavity of the albu- 
men opposite the hilum. — Herbs with membranous leaves with clasping 
sheathing bases and flowers variously arranged. Distrib. Warmer 
regions of both hemispheres. Species 200-300. 
Flowers irregular, with free sepals and petals 1 . Commelyna. 
Flowers regular, with united sepals and petals 2. Cyanotis. 
1. COMMELYNA, Linn. 
Flowers irregular. Sepals free, obtuse, cucuilate, unequal, mem- 
branous, marcescent. Petals roundish, two with a distinct claw, one 
without. Stamens 6, three of which are fertile with oblong anthers, 3 
barren with cruciform abortive anthers ; filaments beardless. Ovary 
sessile, 3-celled, one ovule in one of the cells, one or two in each of 
the two others ; style elongate, filiform. Capsule small, membranous ; 
two cells dehisciug, the other indehiscent. — Herbs with membranous 
leaves with a sheathing base, the flowers rising out of persistent 
hooded spathes. Distrib. Warmer regions of both hemispheres. 
►Species 50. 
Spathes ovate acute, twice as long as broad 1. C. communis. 
Spathes deltoid, as long as broad 2. C. benghalensis* 
1. C. communis, Linn. ; Kunth , Knum. iv 36. An annual, with 
much-branched procumbent stems 1-3 feet long, rooting at the lower 
joints, glabrous or finely pilose. Leaves lanceolate, acuminate, 2-3 
in. long, f in. broad, with a membranous veined clasping petiole 
in. long, finely ciliated principally at the top. Spathes cordate- 
ovate, acuminate, f-1 in. long, horizontal, the two halves folded 
together, glabrous or pubescent. Peduncles both flower-bearing and 
exserted, the lower with 2-3, the upper with one perfect and one 
abortive flower. Sepals in. long, unequal, almost colourless. Petals 
t in. long, bright blue. Capsule oblong, the cell on the back inde- 
hiscent and 1-seeded, the two other dehiscing cells containing each 
two small rugose seeds. C. B. Clarke , Commelyn. Beng. tab. 1. C. salici- 
folia, longifolia, and barbata, Bojer, Hort. Maur. 359-360. 
Mauritius, Seychelles, and Rodriguez, common in damp places. Spread 
through the tropics of the Old World and of the New, if, as seems likely, C. agraria , 
Kunth, be conspecific. The true C. salicifolia of Roxburgh, which is likely to occur, 
differs by its stouter habit, longer leaves, and smooth seeds. 
Y 2 
