Tradescantia
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Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.
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Family
Commelinaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Genus Description - Perennial herbs, sometimes with tuberous roots; stems usually not rhizomatous. Leaves alternate or rosulate, sessile or shortpetiolate, with entire margins. Flowers bisexual, 3-merous, actinomorphic, in paired, fused cymes subtended and sometimes largely enclosed by a pair of spathaceous boat-shaped bracts; sepals free or less often connate at base, sometimes accrescent and fleshy in fruit; petals rose-purple to blue or white, free, sometimes clawed, or connate at base into a short tube; stamens 6, all similar and fertile, the filaments glabrous or bearded, the anthers with a broad connective; ovary 3-locular, with 1 or 2 ovules per locule, the stigma minutely capitate. Fruit a dry loculicidal capsule, rarely enclosed in fleshy sepals; seeds rugulose or rugulose-reticulate, with a linear or punctiform hilum.
Distribution and Ecology - A genus of about 70 species from temperate to tropical areas of the New World.