

SPIDERWORT FAMILY. 



2. TRADESCANTIA L. S p. PI. 2 88. 1755. 

 Percunial, somewhat mucilaginous herbs, with simple or * Hfl *.-. 

 row and elongated leaves, and showy regular flowers in terminal or tens* 

 umbels subtended by leaf-like or scarious bracts. Sepals 3, distinct lurtutxu- 

 3, obovate. ovate or orbicular, sessile. Stamens 6, all alike and fc 

 petals shorter; filaments bearded or glabrous. Ovary j-celled, the cell* *oi 

 3-celled, loculicidally 3-valved, 3-ia-seeded. [In honor of John TmdMCMt mmiAmm 

 Charles I, died 1638.] 



B**id the fotkMrlsv. HM 



About 35 species, natives of tropical and temperate America 

 othi-rs occur in the southern United States 



'mbel or umbels sessile, subtended by long leaf-like bract*. 

 Umbels solitary or 2-4; stem straight; U-avi-s narrow 

 Stem glabrous or merely pubescent. - 



Sepals oblong-lanceolate, 4" i o" long; fWi-r- 

 Sepals lanceolate, 3" -4" long; flowers l,. S s than i' 

 Whole plant long villous; nearly or quite ... 

 Umbels 3-8, axillary and terminal: stem mostly Hi \n. 

 nbel pecluncled, subtended by small si-ari<ms In.,, 





T. t'ttgt* 

 T. rww . 



Spiderwoi: 9IO.) 



i. Tradescantia Virginiana I,. 



idcscantia I'irginiana I,. Sp. PI. 288. 1753. 



Glabrous or slightly pubescent, succulent, 



uicous or green, stems stout, &'-$ tall, 

 yeaves more or less channeled, or in some 

 forms nearly flat, linear or linear-lanceolate, 

 long-acuminate, often more than 1 long, 4 // -i / 

 wide; bracts foliaceous, commonly rather wider 

 and shorter than the leaves; umbels solitary 

 and terminal or rarely 2-4, loosely several- 

 many-flowered; pedicels glabrous or pubescent, 

 slender; flowers blue or purplish, rarely white, 

 ^ / -2 / broad, very showy; sepals oblong or ob- 

 long-lanceolate, acute or obtuse, glabrous or 

 pubescent, 4 // -io // long, much longer than the 

 capsule. 



In rich soil, mostly in woods and thickets, south 

 t-rn New York to Ohio and South Dakota, south to 

 Virginia, Kentucky and Arkansas. Ascends to 4000 

 ft. in Virginia; variable, perhaps includes several 

 species; May-Aug. 



Tradescantia Virginiana occidentalis Hritt<>n 



Leaves narrowly linear, 2" -3" wide; flowers commonly smaller \Visv..n:n t.. M:-- .r 

 and Nt- w Mexico. May be a distinct species. 



2. Tradescantia montana Shu- 

 Mountain Spider^ 



Tradtscantia Montana Shuttlw in Mtrib P*. 



Rugi-1. 



Green and glabrous or somewhat 

 stems slender, simple or sparingly 

 i-2 tall. Leaves lanceolate or Iin*ar-Unf*o 

 late, 4'-io' K.IIK. -'"-6" *>. **' 

 their sheaths enlarged; bract* similar to tb 

 leaves but shorter; umbels raortly solitary sad 

 terminal, sessile in the bracts, rather den**!? 

 flowered; pedicels and <lyx gUbrotM or pwb*- 

 cent; Howera tes. than I'bnmd; aepsJ*lncM. 

 late, acute, about 3" long. 



In woods and thickrtv ""'' <* 

 ern Virginia lo Kentucky and Geoffta. 



