TRADESCANTIA REFLEXA Raf.
? Tradescaidia canaliculata Raf. Atl. Journ. I5o. 1832. Tradescantia Raf. New Fl. Part 2,87. 1836. Tradescantia reflexa var. drcpisia Raf. New Fl. Part 2, 88.
1836.
Perennial by a rootstock and numerous rather delicate roots, slender or stout, glabrous, glaucous. Stems solitary, erect, 4-9 din. tall, nearly straight, commonly much branched, sometimes purplish ; leaves linear, 2-5 dm. long, straight, or somewhat curved, long attenuate ; sheaths large, 1-3 cm. long, glabrous or rarely slightly villous ; involucres of 2 unequal finally reflexed leaf-like bracts ; flowers blue, or often red, 2-3 cm. broad, the um bel-like cymes at maturity usually dense ; pedicels slender, 2-2.5 cm. long, crowded ; sepals oblong or elliptic, apparently lanceo late by the involute edges, 8—io mm. long, hooded, mostly with a tuft of hairs at the apex, sometimes glabrate, 3-4 times as long as broad, leathery ; petals suborbicular ; capsule ovoid or oblong, 5-6 mm. long, glabrous, constricted above the middle ; seeds oblong,
3 mm. long, with irregular transverse ridges.
In sandy or clay soil, in the Gulf States and from South Caro lina to Indian Territory and Texas; ascends the Mississippi Valley to Minnesota. May—August.
South Carolina : Elliott ; Georgia : Small ; Florida : Garber, Nash ; Alabama : Earle and Underwood ; Mississippi : Tracy ; Texas : Drummond; Indian Territory : Palmer.
Conspicuous on account of its tall and proportionately slender habit, its narrow elongated leaves and usually very dense flower clusters. I have adopted the specific name reflexa of Rafinesque because the original description agrees very well with the speci mens I have collected in the Southern States and the original lo cality lies within the bounds of the range shown by my specimens. The plant is usually glabrous except a more or less distinct tuft of hairs near the apex of the sepals.