Herbs. Leaves for the most part radical, linear, toothed. Inflorescence terminal, cone-shaped. Flowers regular, hermaphrodite. Perianth consisting of a calyx and a corolla. Petals slightly cohering and bearing two scales at the base. Stamens 6, slightly adhering to the petals. Anthers linear, turned inwards. Ovary inferior or half-inferior, 3-celled, with many axile, inverted ovules. Style 1; stigmas 3. Fruits berry-like, united into a cone-shaped head. Embryo near the base of the mealy albumen. Genus 1, species 1 (_A. sativus_ Schult., pine-apple). Cultivated and often naturalised in the tropics. The edible fruit and the fibres of the leaves are used. (_Ananassa_ Lindl.) =Ananas= Adans. SUBORDER COMMELININEAE FAMILY 28. COMMELINACEAE Herbs. Leaves alternate. Inflorescence cymose. Flowers hermaphrodite. Perianth-segments 6, more or less distinctly separated into sepals and petals. Fertile stamens 2-6. Ovary superior, 2-3-celled. Ovules straight. Style terminal. Embryo near the apex of the more or less mealy albumen.--Genera 12, species 160. (Plate 16.) 1. Fruit indehiscent, ovate or globular. Ovary 3-celled. Petals free, white, more rarely pale pink or blueish. Inflorescence a panicle without spathe-like bracts. [Tribe POLLIEAE.] 2 Fruit dehiscing loculicidally. 3 2. Pericarp succulent. Margin of the leaves silky. Perfect stamens 3.--Species 10. West Africa and Upper Nile. Some are used as ornamental plants. =Palisota= Reichb. Pericarp crusty. Margin of the leaves nearly glabrous. Perfect stamens 3 or 6.--Species 5. Tropics. =Pollia= Thunb. 3. Fertile stamens 2-3, sterile ones 0-4, often bearing empty anthers. [Tribe COMMELINEAE.] 4 Fertile stamens 5-6. [Tribe TRADESCANTIEAE.] 7 4. Inflorescence in the axil of spathe-like bracts. 5 Inflorescence without spathe-like bracts. 6 5. Sterile stamens with linear anther-halves cohering at the base. Ovary 2-celled with 1 ovule in each cell. Petals white. Spathes on the elongate branches of a panicle.--Species 1. West Africa. =Polyspatha= Benth. Sterile stamens with cross-shaped anthers. Ovary usually 3-celled. Petals usually blue.--Species 80. Some have an edible root-stock or yield vegetables, medicaments, or dyeing-materials; others are used as ornamental plants. =Commelina= L. 6. Sepals large, equal, lanceolate, acute. Petals equal. Fruit with 3 equal-sized, many-seeded cells.--Species 1. East Africa. =Anthericopsis= Engl. [Illustration: ERIOCAULACEAE. _FLOW. PL. AFR._ _Pl. 15._ J. Fleischmann del. Mesanthemum radicans (Benth.) Koern. _A_ Plant in flower. _B_ Inflorescence cut lengthwise. _C_ Bract. _D_ Male flower. _E_ Male flower laid open. _F_ Older female flower (from which the sepals have been removed excepting one). _G_ Older female flower laid open (the ovary cut lengthwise).] [Illustration: COMMELINACEAE. _FLOW. PL. AFR._ _Pl. 16._ J. Fleischmann del. Aneilema beninense Kunth _A_ Flowering branch. _B_ Flower (the ovary cut lengthwise).]