Tradescantia virginiana Linnaeus var. occidentalis Britton in N. L. Britton and A. Brown, Ill. Fl. N. U.S. 1: 377. 1896

Herbs, erect or ascending, rarely rooting at nodes. Stems 5--90 cm; internodes glaucous, glabrous. Leaves spirally arranged, sessile; blade linear-lanceolate, 5--50 ´ 0.2--3 cm (distal leaf blades equal to or narrower than sheaths when sheaths opened, flattened), apex acuminate, glaucous, glabrous. Inflorescences terminal, often axillary; bracts foliaceous. Flowers distinctly pedicillate; pedicels 0.8--3 cm, glandular-puberulent, rarely glabrous or glabrescent; sepals 4--11 mm, glandular-puberulent, usually with apical tuft of eglandular hairs, occasionally with scattered eglandular hairs among glandular, rarely glabrous or glabrescent; petals distinct, bright blue to rose or magenta, broadly ovate, not clawed, 6--16 mm; stamens free; filaments bearded. Capsules 4--7 mm. Seeds 2--4 mm.

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora): North America.

All of the chromosome counts cited by E. Anderson (1954) for this species are attributable to Tradescantia occidentalis var. occidentalis.

Lower Taxa

• Tradescantia occidentalis var. occidentalis
• Tradescantia occidentalis var. scopulorum (Rose) E. S. Anderson & Woodson