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Gardening | Plant ID
the dayflowers and spiderworts
Commelina
Dayflower, (Commelina) The Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus named the genus after the Dutch, Commelijn family of botanists.
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| Dayflower Beavers Bend, Oklahoma |
Tradescantia
Spiderwort (Tradescantia), are herbaceous perennials. Often, considered a weed, spiderwort is cultivated for borders and used in containers. Quite often it is used for a foliage accent or ground cover. The leaves are usually elongated and lance shaped and the plants trail or climb. The flowers can be white, pink, or purple, but are most commonly bright blue.
Cobweb Spiderwort
Observing the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association WaterWise Exhibit at The Dallas Arboretum I found a spiderwort, (Tradescantia sillamontana), that I have never grown. The exhibit is a demonstration garden, well labeled, with low water requiring plants. The cobweb spiderwort appears to have a trailing growth habit and a silver/white appearance. It has a pink flower. It is a water-wise plant. I have not grown it myself but I would like to try it if it is available in the nurseries.
Tradescantia
pallida is
a species of spiderwort more commonly known as wandering jew, a name it shares
with the closely related species, Tradescantia fluminensis and Tradescantia
zebrina.
Other common names include lady-in-a-boat (because the sweet pink flower sits in the leaf-shaped boat), purple secretia, purple heart, and purple queen. It is native to the Gulf Coast region of eastern Mexico.
Other common names include lady-in-a-boat (because the sweet pink flower sits in the leaf-shaped boat), purple secretia, purple heart, and purple queen. It is native to the Gulf Coast region of eastern Mexico.
Edward Palmer was the first European to observe and assign a Latin name to the type specimen near Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas in 1907. He honored the father and son team of botanists, John Tradescant, the elder (c 1570-1638) and John Tradescant, the younger. The Tradescants were botanists to Charles I (1600 – 1649).
Chart 1: Commelinaceae endemic to Texas and surrounding areas
| Tinantia anomala | False dayflower, Widows tears |
| Tradescantia edwardsiana | Plateau spiderwort, Edward's spiderwort |
| Tradescantia gigantea | Giant spiderwort |
| Tradescantia humilis | Texas spiderwort |
| Tradescantia subacaulis | Stemless spiderwort |
Hyden Photography
for
Grassroots Horticulture
2021
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