Tradescantia fluminensis |
Tradescantia crassifolia |
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small-leaf spiderwort, white-flower wandering jew |
leatherleaf spiderwort |
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Habit | Herbs, decumbent, rooting at nodes. | Herbs, erect, rarely rooting at nodes. |
Roots | tuberous, thick. |
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Stems | unbranched or sparsely branched, arachnoid-villous. |
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Leaves | 2-ranked; blade lanceolate-elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, 2.5–5 × 1–2 cm (distal leaf blades wider or narrower than sheaths when sheaths opened, flattened), margins ciliolate, apex acute, glabrous. |
2-ranked, narrowing toward shoot apex; blade lanceolate-elliptic to ovate, 4–15 × 2–3.5 cm (distal leaf blades wider or narrower than sheaths when sheaths opened, flattened), base cordate-clasping, sparsely pilose to densely arachnoid-villous. |
Inflorescences | terminal, becoming leaf-opposed, sometimes axillary from distalmost leaf axil, 1–2 cyme pairs per stem; bracts mostly foliaceous, occasionally reduced. |
terminal, 1–4 axillary, sessile in axils of distal reduced leaves, boat-shaped spathes absent. |
Flowers | distinctly pedicillate; pedicels 1–1.5 cm, glandular-pilose; sepals 5–7 mm, midrib pilose with eglandular hairs; petals distinct, white, not clawed, 8–9 mm; stamens free; filaments white, densely bearded with white hairs. |
distinctly pedicillate; pedicels 0.6–1.4 cm, densely arachnoid-villous; sepals 6.5–8 mm, pilose to densely arachnoid-pubescent; petals distinct, rose-purple to bluish, not clawed, 10–15 mm; stamens free; filaments bearded. |
Capsules | 3.5–4 mm. |
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Seeds | 2 mm. |
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2n | = 12, 24, 24+ (Mexico). |
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Tradescantia fluminensis |
Tradescantia crassifolia |
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Phenology | Flowering spring–fall. | Flowering summer–early fall. |
Habitat | Woods, roadsides, and open areas, sometimes as weed | Specific habitat unkown |
Distribution |
AL; CA; FL; LA; native; South America (Brazil–Argentina); Africa (South Africa); Australia [Introduced in North America; introduced in North America]
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TX; Mexico; to Central America (Guatemala)
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Discussion | This species was recorded north to North Carolina (J. K. Small 1933), but I have not seen any supporting records from Georgia or North Carolina. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Although not recorded in any U.S. flora or checklist, Tradescantia crassifolia has been added to the flora based on an old collection from the Chenati Mountains in Texas. Another specimen labeled New Mexico is considered less credible. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 22. | FNA vol. 22. |
Parent taxa | Commelinaceae > Tradescantia | Commelinaceae > Tradescantia |
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Vellozo: Florae Fluminensis 140; plate vol. 3, 152. (1829) | Cavanilles: Icon. 1: 54, plate 75. (1791) |
Web links |