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small-leaf spiderwort, white-flower wandering jew

purple queen

Habit Herbs, decumbent, rooting at nodes. Herbs, perennial, succulent.
Stems

suffused with purplish violet.

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.

spirally arranged;

blade not variegated, suffused with purplish violet, lanceolate-oblong to oblong-elliptic, (4–)7–15 × 1.5–3 cm (distal leaf blades wider or narrower than sheaths when sheaths opened, flattened), base symmetric, rounded to broadly cuneate, margins ciliate or ciliolate, apex acute, glabrous or glabrescent.

Inflorescences

terminal, becoming leaf-opposed, sometimes axillary from distalmost leaf axil, 1–2 cyme pairs per stem;

bracts mostly foliaceous, occasionally reduced.

terminal, often becoming leaf-opposed, pedunculate;

peduncles (3.5–)4–13 cm;

bracts similar to leaves but usually greatly reduced.

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.

subsessile;

pedicels 4–9 mm, densely white-pilose at summit;

sepals distinct, 7–10 mm, pilose basally;

petals ± connate at base, pink, clawed, 1.5–2 cm;

stamens epipetalous;

filaments very sparsely bearded.

Capsules

3.5 mm, glabrous.

Seeds

2.5–3 mm.

2n

= 24 (Mexico).

Tradescantia fluminensis

Tradescantia pallida

Phenology Flowering spring–fall. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Woods, roadsides, and open areas, sometimes as weed Landfill and old home sites
Distribution
from FNA
AL; CA; FL; LA; native; South America (Brazil–Argentina); Africa (South Africa); Australia [Introduced in North America; introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; LA; Mexico; native [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Source FNA vol. 22. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Commelinaceae > Tradescantia Commelinaceae > Tradescantia
Sibling taxa
T. bracteata, T. brevifolia, T. buckleyi, T. crassifolia, T. crassula, T. edwardsiana, T. ernestiana, T. gigantea, T. hirsuticaulis, T. hirsutiflora, T. humilis, T. leiandra, T. longipes, T. occidentalis, T. ohiensis, T. ozarkana, T. pallida, T. paludosa, T. pedicellata, T. pinetorum, T. reverchonii, T. roseolens, T. spathacea, T. subacaulis, T. subaspera, T. tharpii, T. virginiana, T. wrightii, T. zebrina
T. bracteata, T. brevifolia, T. buckleyi, T. crassifolia, T. crassula, T. edwardsiana, T. ernestiana, T. fluminensis, T. gigantea, T. hirsuticaulis, T. hirsutiflora, T. humilis, T. leiandra, T. longipes, T. occidentalis, T. ohiensis, T. ozarkana, T. paludosa, T. pedicellata, T. pinetorum, T. reverchonii, T. roseolens, T. spathacea, T. subacaulis, T. subaspera, T. tharpii, T. virginiana, T. wrightii, T. zebrina
Synonyms Setcreasea pallida, Setcreasea purpurea
Name authority Vellozo: Florae Fluminensis 140; plate vol. 3, 152. (1829) (Rose) D. R. Hunt: Kew Bull. 30: 452. (1975)
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