Spiderworts
Tradescantiaceae
Spiderwort/Family
How do you identify spiderwort?
Spiderworts have nearly regular, bisexual flowers with 3 sepals and 3 petals, usually with 2 broad petals and the third reduced in size. The petals range from blue to violet, pink, white or rose-colored, but never yellow. The petals sometimes have a sparkly appearance, almost as if they were coated with sugar crystals.
Are Spiderworts succulents?
This tolerant Mexican succulent plant produces long flower stems with fragrant white to pale pink flowers arranged in clusters of three. The waxy leaves colour up in full sun with purple markings, especially leaf margins. In poor light the plant becomes flabby and elongated. Rosettes root easily to make new plants.
Is Dayflower related to spiderwort?
Spiderworts (Tradescantia sp.) and dayflowers (Commelina sp.) are closely related but the latter tend to have fewer blossoms at a time and longer stems. Their flowers also look like little faces and only two petals are prominent.
Where are Spiderworts found?
Virginia spiderwort is found growing in woodlands, hillsides, stream banks, hillsides and in moist prairies. This plant prefers moist soil but tends to adapt to drier areas when need be. It also is found in pH balanced or alkaline soils, and prefers shady or part shade locations.
How many varieties of spiderwort are there?
spiderwort, (genus Tradescantia), genus of about 75 species of erect to trailing weak-stemmed herbs in the family Commelinaceae. The plants are native to the Americas. Spiderworts are of extremely easy culture, taking root readily from cuttings, and thus are very popular indoor plants.
Are Spiderworts poisonous?
Virginia spiderwort and other species of Tradescantia appear on lists of both edible and poisonous plants. Leaves and flowers have been reputed to be edible. Caution is advised before ingesting any wild plant.
Is spiderwort toxic to people?
Warning: POISONOUS PARTS: Leaves. Minor skin irritation if touched. Symptoms include skin irritation with redness and itching, but of low risk.
Is spiderwort an invasive plant?
Recently someone asked me to identify a plant growing in her garden. Spiderwort is a native plant usually found along the edges of a forest, along roadsides and in moist areas. There are many species of this plant since they have been hybridized.
Does spiderwort need full sun?
While the plant tends to prefer partial shade, it does well in almost any environment, so long as it gets at least a few hours of light per day and enough water if exposed to all-day sunlight.
Are Dayflowers native?
Commelina erecta (Dayflower) | Native Plants of North America.
Is Dayflower edible?
Eating Dayflower The leaves, succulent stems, flowers, and immature seeds are good to eat at any time during dayflower’s growing season. They are great raw, but also worth trying steamed and stir-fried. For the best mouthfeel, the stems should be chopped before they are eaten.
What is the Commelinaceae family?
Commelinaceae: Spiderwort Family. Identify plants and flowers. If you have a succulent, creeping houseplant with purple leaves and parallel veins, then you have a member of the Spiderwort family, often called the wandering jew. Members of this family have alternate, sharply folded leaves, and the base of each leaf wraps around the stem.
How many species of Commelina are there?
It is one of five families in the order Commelinales and by far the largest of these with about 731 known species in 41 genera. Well known genera include Commelina (dayflowers) and Tradescantia (spiderworts). The family is diverse in both the Old World tropics and the New World tropics, with some genera present in both.
How do Commelinaceae deceive pollinators?
Commelinaceae flowers tend to deceive pollinators by appearing to offer a larger reward than is actually present. This is accomplished with various adaptations such as yellow hairs or broad anther connectives that mimic pollen, or staminodes that lack pollen but appear like fertile stamens.
What is the fossil record of Commelinidae?
The fossil record of the subclass Commelinidae extends from the Paleocene onward. Pollia tugenensis includes Miocene leaves and fruits collected from a tuff deposit in Kenya (Jacobs and Kabuye, 1989). The spirally arranged leaves are lanceolate and ∼12 cm long; numerous trichomes cover the upper surface.
