Tradescantia

Tradescantia
Tradescantia ohiensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Commelinales
Family: Commelinaceae
Subfamily: Commelinoideae
Tribe: Tradescantieae
Subtribe: Tradescantiinae
Genus: Tradescantia
Ruppius ex L.[1][2]
Type species
Tradescantia virginiana
Sections
Sections
  • * Austrotradescantia
    • Campelia
    • Coholomia
    • Corinna
    • Cymbispatha
    • Mandonia
    • Parasetcreasea
    • Rhoeo
    • Separotheca
    • Setcreasea
    • Tradescantia
    • Zebrina
Synonyms[2][3]
Synonyms
    • Campelia Rich.
    • Cymbispatha Pichon
    • Mandonia Hassk. 1871 not Wedd. 1864 nor Sch. Bip. 1865
    • Neomandonia Hutch.
    • Neotreleasea Rose
    • Rhoeo Hance
    • Separotheca Waterf.
    • Setcreasea K.Schum. & Syd.
    • Treleasea Rose illegitimate name
    • Zebrina Schnizl.
    • Ephemerum Mill.
    • Zanonia Plum. ex Cramer 1803 not L. 1753
    • Etheosanthes Raf.
    • Heminema Raf.
    • Sarcoperis Raf.
    • Tropitria Raf.
    • Heterachthia Kunze
    • Gonatandra Schltdl.
    • Disgrega Hassk.
    • Knowlesia Hassk.
    • Skofitzia Hassk. & Kanitz
Unusual example with four petals and eight anthers

Tradescantia (/ˌtrædəˈskæntiə/[4]) is a genus of 85 species[5] of herbaceous perennial wildflowers in the family Commelinaceae, native to the Americas from southern Canada to northern Argentina, including the West Indies. Members of the genus are known by many common names, including inchplant, wandering jew, spiderwort,[6] dayflower and trad.[7][8]

Tradescantia grow 30–60 cm tall (1–2 ft), and are commonly found individually or in clumps in wooded areas and open fields. They were introduced into Europe as ornamental plants in the 17th century and are now grown in many parts of the world. Some species have become naturalized in regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, and on some oceanic islands.[3]

The genus's many species are of interest to cytogenetics because of evolutionary changes in the structure and number of their chromosomes.[9] They have also been used as bioindicators for the detection of environmental mutagens.[10] Some species have become pests to cultivated crops and considered invasive.

  1. ^ Linnaeus Sp. Pl.: 288 (1753).
  2. ^ a b "Genus: Tradescantia L." Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2004-08-10. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2011-03-20.
  3. ^ a b "Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2020-07-08.[permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ Brenzel, Kathleen Norris, ed. (March 1995). Sunset western garden book. Sunset Books (6th ed.). Menlo Park, California: Sunset Publishing Corporation. pp. 606–607. ISBN 0-376-03851-9. OCLC 32666922.
  5. ^ "Tradescantia Ruppius ex L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  6. ^ NRCS. "Tradescantia". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  7. ^ "Tradescantia (Spiderwort) Planting and Growing Guide". Seasonal Gardening. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  8. ^ "Wandering Jew or Trad" (PDF). Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  9. ^ Golczyk, H. (2011). "Structural Heterozygosity, Duplication of Telomeric (TTTAGGG)n Clusters and B Chromosome Architecture in Tradescantia virginiana L." Cytogenetic and Genome Research. 134 (3): 234–242. doi:10.1159/000328915. ISSN 1424-8581. PMID 21709415. S2CID 39983260.
  10. ^ Ichikawa, Sadao (1972). "Somatic Mutation Rate in Tradescantia Stamen Hairs at Low Radiation Levels: Finding of Low Doubling Doses of Mutations". The Japanese Journal of Genetics. 47 (6): 411–421. doi:10.1266/jjg.47.411.