Tradescantia zebrina Hort. ex Bosse

Bosse, J.F.W. (1849) Vollst. Handb. Bl.-gartn., ed. 2 4: 655. Type: Mexico (Northern America).

Stems green and purple, creeping over the ground and rooting at the nodes.

Leaf blades 40-90 x 20-33 mm, free petiole nil or very short, sheathing section 7-10 mm long. Leaf blades green on the upper surface except for two silver longitudinal stripes but purple on the underside.

Flowers 10-11 mm diam., subtended by bracts about 3 mm long. Calyx 7-8 mm long overall, tube about 4 mm long, lobes about 3 mm long. Anthers transverse on the filaments, connective extended with an anther sac at each end. Filaments 2-3 mm long, clothed with hairs near the base. Ovary about 1 mm long. Style about 8 mm long. Stigma 3-lobed.

Seeds rugulose.

Features not available.

Occurs in NEQ, CEQ and in south eastern Queensland. Altitudinal range 10-50 m. A native of Mexico to Columbia now naturalised in NEQ.

Commonly cultivated for its attractive flowers. The leaf is applied to reduce swellings (Wu & Raven 2000). A weed of tropical areas around the world.

Other Tradescantia species have become naturalised in NEQ and CEQ: Tradescantia fluminensis and Tradescantia spathacea.