SPIDERWORT FAMILY 



WANDERING JEW 



Tradescdntia fiumininsis. Zebrlna pendula. CommeUna nudiflbra. 



Perennials; often grown in water as house plants, noticeable for 

 their shining, striped leaves. Spread by branching and rooting freely. 

 Native to South America and Mexico. 



Stem. — Prostrate, trailing, branching, rooting at the joints. 

 Leaves. — Sheathed at base, alternate, parallel- veined, oblong; green 

 or purplish above, often variegated with two broad stripes of silvery- 

 white. 



Flowers. — White, rose-red, or blue; in terminal clusters, subtended 

 by two leaf-like bracts. 

 Sepals. — Three, ovate, acute. 

 Petals. — Three, broad cvate; white, red, or blue. 



Stamens. — Six; filaments bearded; 

 anthers conspicuous. 



Ovary. — Oblong, three-celled; style 

 thread-like; stigma capitate. 



Ca/iiM/e.— Three-celled, many-seeded. 



Wandering Jew is the common 

 name for three forms of Trades- 

 , cantia, all alike in essential charac- 

 teristics, though varying in minor 

 points. They dwell principally in 

 the dim light under greenhouse 

 benches, yet often appear in hang- 

 ing baskets. They are remarkably 

 tenacious of life; a small branch 

 put into water will root and grow 

 indefinitely in the temperature of 

 the ordinary living-room. The 

 leaves of well-grown plants shine as if dipped in silver; 

 when they have little light they are green, but when they 

 have plenty of sunshine they become striped white or cream, 

 and red-purple beneath. Both stem and leaves are succu- 



Wandering Jew. Commellna nudifibra 



