Contains 9 accepted taxa overall.
Characteristics
Classification
Citation
TRADESCANTIA Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 288. 1753.
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TYPE: Tradescantia virginica Linnaeus
Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Herbarium Specimens | Status | Photos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tradescantia crassula | SUCCULENT SPIDERWORT | Not Native | ||
| Tradescantia fluminensis | SMALL-LEAF SPIDERWORT | Not Native FAC (NWPL) Y FAC (DEP) | ||
| Tradescantia hirsutiflora | HAIRYFLOWER SPIDERWORT | Native | ||
| Tradescantia ohiensis | BLUEJACKET; OHIO SPIDERWORT | Native FAC (NWPL) | ||
| Tradescantia pallida | PURPLEQUEEN | Not Native | ||
| Tradescantia roseolens | LONGLEAF SPIDERWORT | Native | ||
| Tradescantia spathacea | MOSES-IN-THE-CRADLE; OYSTER-PLANT; BOATLILY | Not Native UPL (NWPL) Y | ||
| Tradescantia subaspera | ZIGZAG SPIDERWORT | Native | ||
| Tradescantia zebrina | WANDERING-JEW; INCHPLANT | Not Native UPL (NWPL) |
Identification Key
1. Stems prostrate to decumbent (rarely erect); sepals pilose, generally all keeled; filaments densely bearded at the base with long moniliform hairs; stigma punctate; embryotega inconspicuous (subg. Austrotradescantia)
2
1. Stems prostrate, decumbent, to erect; sepals rarely keeled, if present keel restricted to the dorsal sepal; filaments glabrous to sparsely bearded at mid-length, rarely at the base or apex with short moniliform hairs; stigma truncate to capitulate or capitate to trilobate; embryotega with a conspicuous apicule
4
2. Stems pilose; leaf blade lower surface often purple; petals white to dark pink
2. Stems glabrous; leaf blade lower surface green; petals white
3
3. Leaves lanceolate-oblong to ovate-elliptic, 5-10 cm long, 2-3.5 cm wide; cyme pairs 2-4 per shoot; bracts, especially those of axillary inflorescences, usually reduced
3. Leaves lanceolate-elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, to 2.5-5 cm long, 1-2 cm wide; cyme pairs usually 1-2 per shoot; bracts all or mostly foliaceous, occasionally reduced
4. Roots thin and fibrous, rarely tuberous; leaf blade lower surface often strongly dark purple, upper surface sometimes variegated; inflorescence composed by the main florescence and generally 1–many coflorescences, peduncle bracts commonly present, cincinni bracts spathaceous; stamens subequal, connectives cordate to sagittate to linear-tapered, rarely rhomboid, anther sacs globose, rarely ellipsoid, pollen white; embryotega semilateral (subg. Campelia)
5
4. Roots fleshy to tuberous; leaf blade lower surface green or purple, upper surface not variegated; inflorescence composed only by the main florescence, peduncle bracts never present, cincinni bracts leaf-like or reduced; stamens equal, connectives quadrangular to rectangular, rarely slightly rhomboid to slightly sagittate, anther sacs elliptic to curved, pollen yellow; embryotega dorsal
6
5. Stems short, scarcely apparent; leaf blades 10-35 cm long, 3-5 cm wide
5. Stems trailing, elongate; leaf blades 3-9 cm long, 1.5-3 cm wide
6. Stems prostrate to decumbent; leaves lanceolate to ovate to rotund, rarely cylindrical, base obtuse to cordate; pedicel apically gibbous; stamens epipetalous, filaments glabrous or sparsely bearded; stigmatic papillae evenly distributed in the stigma (subg. Setcreasea)
7
6. Stems erect; leaves linear to acicular, base truncate to rounded; pedicels apically non-gibbous; stamens free; filaments densely bearded; stigmatic papillae restricted to the margins of the stigma (subg. Tradescantia)
8
7. Stems and leaves glabrous to sparsely pilose, often darky purplish
7. Stems and leaves densely woolly or floccose, usually green, sometimes purplish
8. Distal leaf blades wider than opened, flattened sheaths
8. Distal leaf blades equal to or narrower than opened, flattened sheaths
9
9. Sepals glabrous or with an apical tuft of eglandular hairs
9. Sepals pilose, sometimes glandular
10
10. Sepal usually uniformly eglandular-pilose, glandular hairs few and inconspicuous
10. Sepals usually glandular-puberulent, glandular hairs usually numerous and conspicuous, often mixed with eglandular hairs, usually with an apical tuft of eglandular hairs
Genus Synonyms
| Synonym | Full Citation | Basionym | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ephemerum | Ephemerum Miller, Gard. Dict. Abr., ed. 4. 1754, as 'Ephemeron', nom. rej. vs. Ephemerum Hampe 1837. | TYPE: = Tradescantia Linnaeus 1753. | |
| Mandonia | Mandonia Hasskarl, Flora 54: 260. 1871, non Weddell 1864. | TYPE: Mandonia boliviana Hasskarl = Skofitzia Hasskarl & Kanitz 1872. | |
| Neotreleasea | Neotreleasea Rose, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 8: 5. 1903. | TYPE: Neotreleasea brevifolia (Torrey) Rose (Tradescantia leiandra Torrey, var. brevifolia Torrey) = Setcreasea K. Schumann & Sydow 1901. | |
| Rhoeo | Rhoeo Hance ex Halpers, Ann. Bot. Syst. 3: 659. 1853. | TYPE: Rhoeo discolor (L'Heritier de Brutelle) Hance ex Walpers (Tradescantia discolor L'Heritier de Brutelle) | |
| Setcreasea | Setcreasea K. Schumann & Sydow, in K. Schumann, Just's Bot. Jahresber. 27(1): 452. 1901. | TYPE: Setcreasea brevifolia (Torrey) Pilger (Tradescantia leiandra Torrey, var. brevifolia Torrey) Substitute name for Treleasea Rose 1899, non Treleasia Spegazzini 1896. | |
| Skofitzia | Skofitzia Hasskarl & Kanitz, Oesterr. Bot. Z. 22: 147. 1872. | TYPE: Skofitzia boliviana (Hasskarl) Hasskarl & Kanitz (Mandonia boliviana Hasskarl) Substitute name for Mandonia Hasskarl 1871, non Weddell 1864. | |
| Treleasea | Treleasea Rose, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 5: 207. 1899, non Treleasia Spegazzini 1896. | TYPE: Treleasea brevifolia (Torrey) Rose (Tradescantia leiandra Torrey, var. brevifolia Torrey) = Setcreasea K. Schumann & Sydow 1901. | |
| Zebrina | Zebrina Schnizlein, Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 7: 870. 1849. | TYPE: Zebrina pendula Schnizlein |