Tradescantia (/ˌtrædəˈskæntiə/[4]) is a genus of 85 species[5] of herbaceousperennial 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]
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
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]
Tradescantia are herbaceous perennials and include both climbing and trailing species, reaching 30–60 centimetres (0.98–1.97 ft) in height. The stems are usually succulent or semi-succulent, and the leaves are sometimes semi-succulent.[11][12] The leaves are long, thin and blade-like to lanceolate, from 3–45 cm long (1.2–17.7 in). The flowers can be white, pink, purple or blue, with three petals and six yellow anthers (or rarely, four petals and eight anthers). The sap is mucilaginous and clear.
A number of species have flowers that last for only a day, opening in the morning and closing by the evening.[13]
Plants of the genus are called by many common names, varying by region and country. The name "inchplant" is thought to describe the plant's fast growth,[17] or the fact that leaves are an inch apart on the stem.[18] "Spiderwort" refers to the sap which dries into web-like threads when a stem is cut. [19] The name "dayflower", shared with other members of the Commelinaceae family, refers to the flowers which open and close within a single day.
The controversial name "wandering Jew" originates from the Christian myth of the Wandering Jew, condemned to wander the earth for taunting Jesus on the way to his crucifixion.[20] In recent years there have been efforts to stop using this and other potentially offensive common names,[21] in favour of alternatives such as "wandering dude".[22][23]
In Spanish, Tradescantia plants are sometimes referred to as flor de Santa Lucía (Saint Lucy's flower), in reference to the Saint's reputation as the patron saint of sight, and the use of the juice of the plant as eye drops to relieve congestion.[24]
Taxonomyedit
Subdivisions and speciesedit
The number of species and infrageneric taxa has changed throughout history. The first major classification proposed by Hunt (1980) included 60 species divided into eight sections, with one section divided into a further four series.[25] Hunt's 1986 revision united several small genera with Tradescantia as sections, resulting in a total of twelve sections comprising 68 species,[26] and this infrageneric classification was accepted for several decades.
A recent study by Pellegrini (2017) proposed a new classification based on recent morphological research, dividing the genus into five subgenera.[11] As of December 2023, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew recognises 86 species.[5]
Tradescantia × andersoniana W.Ludw. & Rohweder[36][37] The name was published with no description, so is not a valid botanical name;[38] the taxon is now treated as a cultivar group.[39]
The natural range of the genus as a whole spans nearly the entire length and width of mainland North America, from Canada through Mexico and Central America, and thrives in a great diversity of temperate and tropical habitats. It is frequently found in thinly wooded deciduous forests, plains, prairies, and healthy fields, often alongside other native wildflowers.
Spiderworts are popular in Europe and North America as ornamental plants. Temperate species are grown as hardy garden perennials, while tropical species such as T. zebrina and T. spathacea are used as house plants.[15] Their popularity and easy spreading nature has led to some species being considered serious weeds in certain places (see below).
Most cold-hardy garden plants belong to the Andersoniana Group (often referred to with the invalid nameTradescantia × andersoniana).[40] This is a group of interspecific hybrids developed from Tradescantia virginiana, T. ohiensis, and T. subaspera, which have overlapping ranges within continental North America.[15] These plants are clump-forming herbaceous perennials, with individual cultivars mainly differing in flower colour.[41]
A wide range of tender tropical species are cultivated as houseplants or outdoor annuals in temperate locations, including Tradescantia zebrina, T. fluminensis, T. spathacea, T. sillamontana, and T. pallida.[42][43] They are typically grown for their foliage, and many have colourful variegated patterns of silver, purple, green, pink, and gold.[43]
The International Society for Horticultural Science appointed Tradescantia Hub as an International Cultivar Registration Authority (ICRA) for Tradescantia in 2022. As an ICR authority, the Hub is responsible for recording and maintaining a checklist of the correct names for all cultivars in the genus.[45]
Weedsedit
Due to its ready propagation from stem fragments and its domination of the ground layer in many forest environments, T. fluminensis has become a major environmental weed in Australia,[46] New Zealand and the southern United States.[47] Other species considered invasive weeds in certain places include T. pallida,[48]T. spathacea,[49] and T. zebrina.[50]
Toxicityedit
Some members of the genus Tradescantia may cause allergic reactions in pets (especially cats and dogs) characterised by red, itchy skin.[51] Notable culprits include T. albiflora (scurvy weed), T. spathacea (Moses in the cradle), and T. pallida (purple heart).
Usesedit
Native Americans used T. virginiana to treat a number of conditions, including stomachache. It was also used as a food source.[15] The cells of the stamen hairs of some Tradescantia are colored blue, but when exposed to sources of ionizing radiation such as gamma rays or pollutants like sulphur dioxide from industries, the cells mutate and change color to pink; they are one of the few tissues known to serve as an effective bioassay for ambient radiation levels.[10][15]
^ ab"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.
^USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Tradescantia". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
^"Tradescantia (Spiderwort) Planting and Growing Guide". Seasonal Gardening. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
^"Wandering Jew or Trad" (PDF). Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
^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.
^ abIchikawa, 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.
^ abcPellegrini, Marco (26 Oct 2017). "Morphological phylogeny of Tradescantia L. (Commelinaceae) sheds light on a new infrageneric classification for the genus and novelties on the systematics of subtribe Tradescantiinae". PhytoKeys (89): 11–72. doi:10.3897/phytokeys.89.20388. PMC5672149. PMID 29118649. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
^Hunt, D. R. (2020). "Part VIII: The Family Commelinaceae". In Eggli, Urs; Nyffeler, Reto (eds.). Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Monocotyledons (2 ed.). Springer. pp. 1165–1191. ISBN 978-3-662-56484-4.
^Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology. Vol. IV R-Z. Taylor & Francis US. p. 2697. ISBN 978-0-8493-2678-3.
^Lorenzo-Cáceres, José Manuel Sánchez de (2004). "Las especies del género Tradescantia cultivadas en España". Arboles ornamentales (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-10-31.
^"Inch Plants". Almanac. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
^"Tradescantia zebrina". North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
^Holland, Jonah (2014-06-06). "Spiderwort: Why's It Called That Anyway?". Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
^Anderson, George K. The Legend of the Wandering Jew. Providence: Brown University Press, 1965. xi, 489 p.; ISBN 0-87451-547-5
^Jackson, MJ (2020-08-09). "Racism in Taxonomy: What's in a Name?". Hoyt Arboretum. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
^"Why We're No Longer Using the Name Wandering Jew". Bloombox Club. 2019-06-26. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
^Goldwyn, Brittany (2019-07-23). "How to Care for a Wandering Tradescantia Zebrina Plant". by Brittany Goldwyn. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
^Bugatti Para, Cristina L. de (2008-05-17). "Esos yuyos con aire lujoso" (in Spanish). La Nación. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
^Hunt, David R. (1980). "Sections and Series in Tradescantia: American Commelinaceae: IX". Kew Bulletin. 35 (2): 437–442. doi:10.2307/4114596. JSTOR 4114596.
^Hunt, David R. (1986). "Campelia, Rhoeo and Zebrina united with Tradescantia: American Commelinaceae: XIII". Kew Bulletin. 41 (2): 401–405. doi:10.2307/4102948. JSTOR 4102948.
^Pellegrini, Marco (19 July 2018). "Wandering throughout South America: Taxonomic revision of Tradescantia subg. Austrotradescantia (D.R.Hunt) M.Pell. (Commelinaceae)". PhytoKeys (104): 1–97. doi:10.3897/phytokeys.104.28484. PMC6062585. S2CID 51728169. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
^Hassemer, Gustavo; Funez, Luís (1 September 2020). "Novelties and notes on Tradescantia (Commelinaceae) from Brazil". Phytotaxa. 458 (2): 139–158. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.458.2.2. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
^Pellegrini, M.O.O. (2020). "Tradescantia cerinthoides Kunth". Flora do Brasil. Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. Retrieved 2022-03-01.
^Pellegrini, M.O.O. (2020). "Tradescantia chrysophylla M.Pell". Flora do Brasil. Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. Retrieved 2022-03-01.
^Pellegrini, M.O.O. (2020). "Tradescantia crassula Link & Otto". Flora do Brasil. Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. Retrieved 2022-03-01.
^Pellegrini, M.O.O. (2020). "Tradescantia decora W.Bull". Flora do Brasil. Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. Retrieved 2022-03-01.
^Pellegrini, M.O.O. (2020). "Tradescantia mundula Kunth". Flora do Brasil. Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. Retrieved 2022-03-01.
^Hunt, D. R. (1986). "Campelia, Rhoeo and Zebrina united with Tradescantia: American Commelinaceae: XIII". Kew Bulletin. 41 (2): 401–405. doi:10.2307/4102948. ISSN 0075-5974. JSTOR 4102948.
^Hunt, D. R. (1980). "Sections and series in Tradescantia: American Commelinaceae: IX". Kew Bulletin. 35 (2): 437–442. doi:10.2307/4114596. ISSN 0075-5974. JSTOR 4114596.
^Ludwig, Wolfgang; Rohweder, Otto (1954). "Zur Nomenklatur zweier Commelinaceen". Feddes Repertorium Specierum Novarum Regni Vegetabilis. 56 (3): 282. doi:10.1002/fedr.19540560304.
^"AGM Plants April 2023 (C) RHS - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
^"ICRA Report Sheet: Tradescantia Hub". International Society for Horticultural Science. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
^"Tradescantia fluminensis". Weeds Australia. Atlas of Living Australia. August 2007. Retrieved 2022-10-30.
^Witt, A; Luke, Q, eds. (2017). Tradescantia fluminensis (wandering Jew). Cabi.org. doi:10.1079/9781786392145.0000. ISBN 9781786392145. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
^Witt, A; Luke, Q, eds. (2017). Tradescantia pallida (purple queen). Cabi.org. doi:10.1079/9781786392145.0000. ISBN 9781786392145. Archived from the original on 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
^Witt, A; Luke, Q, eds. (2017). Tradescantia spathacea (boat lily). Cabi.org. doi:10.1079/9781786392145.0000. ISBN 9781786392145. Archived from the original on 2022-11-08. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
^Witt, A; Luke, Q, eds. (2017). Tradescantia zebrina (wandering jew). Cabi.org. doi:10.1079/9781786392145.0000. ISBN 9781786392145. Archived from the original on 2020-10-28. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
Christman, Steve (10 March 2005). "Tradescantia Andersoniana Group". Floridata Plant Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 2015-06-14. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
Dave's Garden (2015). "Welcome to Dave's Garden!". Internet Brands. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
Hawke, Richard G. (2010). "A Comparative Study of Tradescantia Cultivars" (PDF). Plant Evaluation Notes (34): 1–9. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
Beal, Janet. "Common Names for Tradescantia Flowers". SFGate. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
Edgar, Anderson; Karl, Sax (March 1936). "A Cytological Monograph of the American Species of Tradescantia". Botanical Gazette. 97 (3): 433–476. doi:10.1086/334582. JSTOR 2471708. S2CID 84332339.