OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Commelinales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Tradescantia virginiana   FAMILY Commelinaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Tradescantia virginiana   FAMILY Commelinaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America

Tradescantia virginiana

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 038-03-003:

Tradescantia virginiana   FAMILY Commelinaceae

(?) Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Tradescantia brevicaulis

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Tradescantia virginiana

 

COMMON NAME:
Virginia Spiderwort


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_trbr8_001_lvd

        

image of Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_trvi_001_lvd

        

image of Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort

Jim Fanning    jcf_spiderwort2

April    Pickens County    SC

SC Botanical Garden

image of Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort

Keith Bradley    kab_t_virginiana_0271

April    Richland County    SC

Riverwalk Park

A 4-petaled reminder to never use the word "always" when discussing plants.

image of Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort

Keith Bradley    kab_t_virginiana_0288

April    Richland County    SC

Riverwalk Park

image of Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort

Keith Bradley    kab_t_virginiana_3528

April    Richland County    SC

Randolph Cemetery

image of Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_t_virginiana_1

April        

image of Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort

JK Marlow    jkm220503_7410

May    Greenville County    SC

In cultivation

Bracts below the inflorescence often wider and longer than the leaves, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).

image of Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort

JK Marlow    jkm220503_7410b

May    Greenville County    SC

In cultivation

Sepals densely pubescent (but not glandular-pubescent), per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort

JK Marlow    jkm220503_7411

May    Greenville County    SC

In cultivation

Petals distinct, broadly ovate, not clawed; stamens free, filaments bearded, per Flora of North America.

image of Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort

JK Marlow    jkm220503_7412

May    Greenville County    SC

In cultivation

Leaves 15-35cm long, 5-12mm wide (narrower than opened flattened sheath), per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort

Kevin Adams    kcatradescantiavirgin_28

May    Rockingham County    NC

Flowers in a terminal cluster, blue, purple, or occasionally white, per Wildflowers in the Field and Forest: Northeastern US (Clemants & Gracie, 2006).

image of Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmtvirginiana_rootsrec2

May    Richland County    SC

Sandhills Recreation Center

Roots (1.5-)2-4mm thick, fleshy, per Flora of North America.

image of Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmtvirginiana_srec2

May    Richland County    SC

Sandhills Recreation Center

image of Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmtvirginiana_srec3

May    Richland County    SC

Sandhills Recreation Center

image of Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmtvirginiana_srec4

May    Richland County    SC

Sandhills Recreation Center

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Tradescantia virginiana   FAMILY Commelinaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Tradescantia virginiana   FAMILY Commelinaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Tradescantia virginiana

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 038-03-003:
Tradescantia virginiana   FAMILY Commelinaceae

(?) Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Tradescantia brevicaulis

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Tradescantia virginiana

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

1523

Forb
Perennial

Habitat: Nutrient-rich forests and woodlands, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Rare in GA-NC-SC

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)

LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Blue also pink or white
Radially symmetrical
3-merous
3 sepals
3 petals
6 fertile stamens (bearded)
Superior ovary
Bisexual

FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Capsule

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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