Tradescantia pallida

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Tradescantia pallida
Tradescantia pallida kz03.jpg
Tradescantia pallida 'Purpurea'
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Commelinales
Family: Commelinaceae
Genus: Tradescantia
Species:
T. pallida
Binomial name
Tradescantia pallida
Synonyms [1]

Setcreasea pallidaRose
Setcreasea purpureaBoom

Tradescantia pallida is a species of spiderwort native to the Gulf Coast region of eastern Mexico. It is a perennial herbaceous species with a trailing habit. The cultivar T. pallida 'Purpurea', commonly called purple heart or purple queen, is widely grown as a houseplant, outdoor container plant, or a garden groundcover. The species has been proven useful in indicating and removing air and soil pollutants and has also been used in food technology.

Contents

Taxonomy

T. pallida is a species of spiderwort in the family Commelinaceae. [2] The type specimen was collected by Edward Palmer, one of the main US plant collectors of his time, in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas (possibly near Ciudad Victoria [3] ) in 1907. [4] The species was described by Joseph Nelson Rose in 1911. He placed it in the genus Setcreasea . In 1975 David Hunt transferred the species to the genus Tradescantia . [2] Hunt also treated Setcreasea purpurea as a cultivar of S. pallida. [3] The latter names are still often used to refer to T. pallida. [2] The specific epithet pallida means "pale", referring to the original color of the leaves. [4]

The plant is known by several common names, including purple heart (probably in reference to the eponymous military medal [4] ) and purple wandering jew. [2]

Description

T. pallida is perennial and herbaceous. It has a rambling habit, with plants reaching about a 1 ft (30 cm) in height but spreading considerably wider: [2] the stems may trail to 18 in (46 cm) or more. [5] Wild specimens are gray-green-purplish with a washed out look. [4]

Flower of T. pallida 'Purpurea' Tradescantia pallida flower.jpg
Flower of T. pallida 'Purpurea'

The fleshy, hairy leaves are up to 7 in (180 mm) long, [2] narrow-oblong, and v-shaped. [5] and form a sheath around fleshy stems, which break off easily. On the ends of the stems the plants produce relatively inconspicuous flowers. The flowers are three-petaled as is typical for the Tradescantia genus. The flowering is most abundant from midsummer through fall and sporadic at other times of the year. [2] The flowers are open only in the morning. [4] The plants are evergreen, [4] but in colder areas die back to the ground in winter and resprout from the roots in spring. [2]

Distribution and habitat

T. pallida is found along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Its native range extends from Tamaulipas to Yucatan. [4] The species has been collected in a tropical deciduous forest, among roadside limestone rocks, and on limestone outcrops. [3]

Uses

T. pallida 'Purpurea' as a houseplant Tradeskansia.jpg
T. pallida 'Purpurea' as a houseplant

T. pallida is grown as an ornamental plant for its attractive foliage. [2] Only the cultivar 'Purpurea', featuring purple-violet leaves and stems, [5] is commercially grown. [4] 'Purpurea' is sometimes sold under the name 'Purple Heart', [5] and has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [6]

T. pallida is a popular groundcover plant in tropical and semi-tropical areas. In temperate climates it has traditionally been used as a houseplant but is increasingly being planted outdoors in containers or as a groundcover. It is also suitable for hanging baskets, border fronts, and rock gardens. [5] The plant is hardy down to USDA zone 7. [2] It may be grown in the shade but the most intense purple color is achieved in full sun. [2] [4] [5] The plant is remarkable for easily tolerating both drought [2] [4] [5] and frequent watering. [2] It is generally not affected by pests or diseases; however, slugs and caterpillars may attack young shoots of outdoor specimens, while houseplants should be monitored for aphids and scale. [5]

T. pallida has been proven useful for phytoremediation, biomonitoring, and genotoxicity assessment of environmental pollutants, especially heavy metals and metalloids from coal power plants. [7] As a houseplant, T. pallida has been judged exceptionally effective at improving indoor air quality by filtering out volatile organic compounds, a class of common pollutants and respiratory irritants. [8]

Because the plant contains anthocyanins, T. pallida leaves have been used as food colorants [9] [10] and food preservatives. [10]

Related Research Articles

<i>Tradescantia</i> Genus of plants

Tradescantia is a genus of 85 species of herbaceous perennial wildflowers in the family Commelinaceae, native to the Americas from southern Canada to northern Argentina, including the West Indies. Members of the genus are known by many common names, including inchplant, wandering jew, spiderwort, dayflower and trad.

<i>Echinacea</i> Genus of flowering plants in the daisy family Asteraceae

Echinacea is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the daisy family. It has ten species, which are commonly called coneflowers. They are native only in eastern and central North America, where they grow in wet to dry prairies and open wooded areas. They have large, showy heads of composite flowers, blooming in summer. The generic name is derived from the Greek word ἐχῖνος, meaning "hedgehog", due to the spiny central disk. These flowering plants and their parts have different uses. Some species are cultivated in gardens for their showy flowers. Two of the species, E. tennesseensis and E. laevigata, were formerly listed in the United States as endangered species; E. tennesseensis has been delisted due to recovery and E. laevigata is now listed as threatened.

<i>Hoya</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants

Hoya is a genus of over 500 accepted species of tropical plants in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae. Most are native to several countries of Asia such as the Philippines, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Polynesia, New Guinea, and many species are also found in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commelinaceae</span> Family of flowering plants

Commelinaceae is a family of flowering plants. In less formal contexts, the group is referred to as the dayflower family or spiderwort family. 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. The variation in morphology, especially that of the flower and inflorescence, is considered to be exceptionally high amongst the angiosperms.

<i>Tradescantia zebrina</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Commelinaceae

Tradescantia zebrina, formerly known as Zebrina pendula, is a species of creeping plant in the Tradescantia genus. Common names include silver inch plant and wandering Jew. The latter name is controversial, and some now use the alternative wandering dude. The plant is popular in cultivation due to its fast growth and attractive foliage. It is used as a groundcover in warm winter climates, and as a houseplant elsewhere.

<i>Tradescantia fluminensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Tradescantia fluminensis is a species of spiderwort native to South America. It is one of several plants known by the common name wandering Jew. It is also known as small-leaf spiderwort, river spiderwort, inch plant, speedy Henry, wandering willie and wandering trad.

<i>Dichorisandra thyrsiflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Dichorisandra thyrsiflora or blue ginger is a species of tropical flowering plant which resembles ginger in growth and habit, but is actually related to the spiderworts. The plant is native to the tropical woodlands of North, Central and South America, especially in Atlantic Forest vegetation in Brazil. Of the family Commelinaceae, it is cultivated for its handsome spotted stems and large shiny foliage which is held horizontally, surmounted by striking blue flowers.

<i>Fittonia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Fittonia is a genus of evergreen perennial flowering plants in the acanthus family, Acanthaceae. The genus is native to tropical and subtropical forested areas in northern and western South America, mainly Perú.

The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration.

<i>Tradescantia virginiana</i> Species of flowering plant

Tradescantia virginiana, the Virginia spiderwort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Commelinaceae. It is the type species of Tradescantia, native to the eastern United States. It is commonly found growing wild along roadsides and railway lines. Most garden plants labelled as T. virginiana actually belong to the Andersoniana cultivar group, which are hybrids involving multiple species.

<i>Fittonia albivenis</i> Species of plant

Fittonia albivenis is a species of flowering plant in the family Acanthaceae, native to the rainforests of Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and northern Brazil. An evergreen perennial, it is notable for its dark green foliage with strongly contrasting white or red veins. It is commonly called nerve plant or mosaic plant. In temperate regions where the temperature falls below 10 °C (50 °F) it must be grown as a houseplant.

<i>Tradescantia ohiensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Tradescantia ohiensis, commonly known as bluejacket or Ohio spiderwort, is an herbaceous plant species in the genus Tradescantia native to eastern and central North America. It is the most common and widely distributed species of Tradescantia in the United States, where it can be found from Maine in the northeast, west to Minnesota, and south to Texas and Florida. It also has a very small distribution in Canada in extreme southern Ontario near Windsor.

<i>Tradescantia spathacea</i> Species of herb

Tradescantia spathacea, also called the oyster plant, boatlily or 'Moses-in-the-cradle', is an herb in the Commelinaceae family which was first described in 1788. It is native to Belize, Guatemala, and southern México and is widely cultivated as an ornamental houseplant; it has become naturalized in parts of coastal Southern California, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Texas, and various Pacific and Indian Ocean islands.

<i>Tradescantia bracteata</i> Species of flowering plant

Tradescantia bracteata, the longbract spiderwort, or prairie spiderwort, is a species of Tradescantia. It is native to the northern and central Great Plains and Mississippi Valley regions of the United States, from Arkansas and Oklahoma north to Minnesota and Montana, with a few isolated populations farther east. It is grown for its purple flowers. It blooms from May to July in the US. A protected population of the species is found in the Sugarloaf Mountains-Midland Peak Natural Area.

<i>Tradescantia ozarkana</i> Species of flowering plant

Tradescantia ozarkana, the Ozark spiderwort, is a species of Tradescantia. It is part of the Commelinaceae family, native to the States of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma in the south-central United States. It flowers from April to May and can be found in rich, rocky areas, including woods and bluff ledges.

<i>Tradescantia crassula</i> Species of flowering plant

Tradescantia crassula, common names succulent spiderwort and white-flowered tradescantia, is a species of plants in the Commelinaceae. It is native to southeastern Brazil, Uruguay, and the Misiones Province of Argentina, and has been introduced to Florida. It flowers in May in Florida, and can be found under Oak Trees.

<i>Tradescantia sillamontana</i> Species of flowering plant

Tradescantia sillamontana is a perennial evergreen herbaceous plant of the genus Tradescantia. This species is one of the most succulent and xerophytic, but at the same time one of the most attractive species of Tradescantia. It is endemic to dry areas of the State of Nuevo León in northeastern Mexico and can also be found in Spain and Italy.

Tradescantia buckleyi, commonly known as Buckley's spiderwort, is a species of flowering plant in the dayflower family, Commelinaceae. It is native to southern Texas in the United States as well as northern Tamaulipas in Mexico. The specific name honours Samuel Botsford Buckley (1809-1884), who collected the type specimen near Corpus Christi, Texas.

<i>Tradescantia subaspera</i> Species of plant in the genus Tradescantia

Tradescantia subaspera, the zigzag spiderwort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Commelinaceae, native to the eastern United States. Its zigzagging stems and wider leaves distinguish it from Tradescantia virginiana. It is recommended for shady naturalistic garden settings. It has three petals which are violet-blue to purple in color. Flowers bloom May to September.

Tradescantia tharpii, the shortstem spiderwort or spider lily, is a species of flowering plant in the family Commelinaceae, native to the central United States. It is small for its genus, reaching only 8–12 in (20–30 cm). It is recommended for shady naturalistic settings.

References

  1. ↑ "Tradescantia pallida". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 2011-11-20.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Mahr, Susan. "Purple Heart, Tradescantia pallida". University of Wisconsin. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 "The Reunion of Setcreasea and Separotheca with Tradescantia". American Commelinaceae: I. 30 (3). Kew Bulletin: 443–458. 1975. JSTOR   4103068 . Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Klingaman, Gerald (21 October 2016). "Plant of the Week: Tradescantia pallida, Purple Heart". University of Arkansas. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Tradescantia pallida 'Purpurea'". Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  6. ↑ "Tradescantia pallida 'Purpurea'". RHS. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  7. ↑ Meravi, Neelima; Prajapati, Santosh Kumar (2014). "Biomonitoring the Genotoxicity of Heavy Metals/Metalloids Present in Soil Contaminated by Fly Ash from Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant Using Tradescantia pallida". Phytoremediation. 1. Springer: 173. ISBN   978-3319103952.
  8. ↑ Yang, Dong Sik; Pennisi, Svoboda V.; Son, Ki-Cheol; Kays, Stanley J. (1 August 2009). "Screening Indoor Plants for Volatile Organic Pollutant Removal Efficiency". HortScience. 44 (5): 1377–1381. doi: 10.21273/HORTSCI.44.5.1377 .
  9. ↑ Houghton, J.D.; Hendry, G.A.F. (2012). Natural Food Colorants. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN   978-1461521556.
  10. 1 2 Imtiaz, Fariha; Islam, Muhammad; Saeed, Hamid; Ahmed, Abrar; Rathore, Hassaan Anwer (1 March 2023). "Assessment of the antidiabetic potential of extract and novel phytoniosomes formulation of Tradescantia pallida leaves in the alloxan-induced diabetic mouse model". FASEB Journal. 37 (4). doi: 10.1096/fj.202201395RR .
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