Tradescantia spathacea
Purpurblättrige Spiderwort ( Tradescantia spathacea ), habitus
The plant Purpurblättrige Spiderwort ( Tradescantia spathacea ), also sometimes used to their old names Rhoeo, belongs to the family of Commelina family ( Commelinaceae ). Your natural range includes the Caribbean islands and extends into Central America from southern Mexico through Belize to Guatemala. It is used in the tropics to subtropics as an ornamental plant in parks and gardens and to use them as insensitive houseplant. In much of the tropics and sub- tropics it is wild.
- 4.1 Literature
- 4.2 Notes and references
Description
Appearance and leaf
Tradescantia spathacea grows as an evergreen, perennial herbaceous plant. Often multiple shoot axes stand together in colonies. The short, initially upright, later prostrate, unbranched, hairless stem axis may reach a diameter of up to 3 centimeters, making it rarely roots at the nodes ( more nodes ).
The alternate and seemingly spirally arranged leaves are sessile. The sometimes hairy leaf sheath initially includes the stem axis closely, later it opens and is flat. The simple, bare, somewhat fleshy, slightly succulent, parallel venation leaf blade is at a length of 20 to 40 centimeters and a width of 3-6 cm oblong- lanceolate or strap- shaped with a narrowed Spreitenbasis, tapered at the top and smooth margin. The upper leaf surface is dark green and the leaf underside wine red to purple.
Inflorescence and flower
In laterally on a short to hardly recognizable Blütenstandsschäften standing, simple or branched, paniculate, zymösen inflorescences many flowers are borne. The inflorescences are enclosed schiffchenförmig each of two large, folded, egg-shaped, with a width of up to 3 centimeters, often wine-red bracts, so that only the flourishing of flowers peep out, the buds and later the maturing fruit but in the protected " boat " are. After maturation of the fruit dry up the " boat " and often remain for a long time on the plant. The clear flower stems are bare. The stamens are clearly bearded.
The relatively small, hermaphroditic flowers are radial symmetry and threefold. The three free white sepals are 3-6 mm long and bare. The three free white petals are ovate with an abrupt peak at a length of 5 to 8 mm. There are two circles, each with three free stamens present.
Fruit and seeds
3 to 4 mm long capsule fruit zweifächerig three or atrophy. Each fruit tray contains only one seed. The 3-4 mm seed has a wrinkled surface.
System
Tradescantia spathacea was in 1788, first published in Nova Genera p. 57 et Species Plantarum seu Prodromus by Olof Peter Swartz. Synonyms for Tradescantia spathacea Sw. are: Rhoeo discolor (. L' Hér ) Hance ex Walp, Rhoeo spathacea ( Sw. ) Stearn, Tradescantia discolor L' Hér. .
Use as an ornamental plant
There are some varieties that are used in subtropical to tropical parks and gardens or rooms as an ornamental plant. The variety ' Vittata ' has glossy green, yellow striped leaves. Tradescantia spathacea is sensitive to frost.