TRADESCANTIA FOLIOSA n. sp.
Perennial by a cluster of slender much elongated (more than 3 dm.) roots, rather stout, glabrous above, villous at the base. dull green. Sterns solitary, erect, 4-7 dm. tall, simple or nearly so, very leafy near the base, glabrous or glabrate; leaves narrowly linear, 2-6 dm. long, nearly equalling or surpassing the stem, long attenuate, crowded at the base ; sheaths large, often densely vil lous, imbricated and sheathing the stem for 1-2 dm., prominently ribbed ; involucre of 3 unequal leaf-like bracts; pedicels slender, 1-1.5 cm. long ; flowers blue, about 2 cm. broad, the cymes at ma turity dense; sepals ovate or oblong, about 7 mm. long, obtuse, two strongly hooded and with a tuft of hairs near the apex, one scarcely hooded and nearly glabrous at the apex ; capsule oblong, 5-6 mm. long, glabrous ; seeds irregular, 2-2.5 mm. long, not
much longer than broad.
In clay soil, chiefly on hummocks, eastern and southern Flor ida: Keeler; Nash, 610 in part. May to June.
As in the case of Tratiescatha longifolia, the leaves of this plant are crowded toward the base of the stern but they are much more numerous. The sheaths are loose, densely imbricated and villous, with very long delicate hairs. The upper part of the plant is apparently glaucous, the flowers are small, the sepals short and the fruiting calyx small and plump. The plant is destitute of glandular pubescence.