Tradescantia spathacea | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Commelinales |
Family: | Commelinaceae |
Genus: | Tradescantia |
Species: | T. spathacea
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Binomial name | |
Tradescantia spathacea | |
Synonyms[1] | |
List
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Tradescantia spathacea, also called the oyster plant,[2] boatlily[3] or 'Moses-in-the-cradle', is an herb in the Commelinaceae family which was first described in 1788. It is native to Belize, Guatemala, and southern México (Chiapas, Tabasco, and the Yucatán Peninsula) and is widely cultivated as an ornamental houseplant; it has become naturalized in parts of coastal Southern California, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Texas, and various Pacific and Indian Ocean islands.[4][5][6]