Tradescantia ciliata Blume, Catalogus, 61. 1823; Cyanotis kawakamii Hayata; T. capitata Blume.

Rhizome and stems together more than 50 cm long. Stems prostrate, branched, rooting at nodes, glabrous or pubescent along a line. Leaf with sheath ca. 0.3 mm, membranous, pilose; leaf blade lanceolate to broadly ovate, 1.5--6 × 0.8--2.3 cm, margin ciliate, elsewhere glabrous or abaxially hirsutulous. Cincinni axillary, with (1 or)2 to several flowers; involucral bracts leaflike, wider than leaves; bracts obovate-spatulate or lanceolate, 5--10 × 2--3 mm, margin ciliate. Pedicels 1--2 mm. Sepals lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 4--6 × ca. 1.3 mm, pilose. Petals pink, blue, or blue-purple, obovate, ca. 5 × 2.6 mm. Filaments bearded. Ovary hirsute distally. Capsule oblong or ellipsoid, 2.5--3.5 mm, with 3 longitudinal grooves, apex hirsute. Seeds gray, cylindric, ca. 1.6 × 0.8 mm, angled, rugose. Fl. Jun--Jul.

Rocks in forests; near sea level to 2300 m. S Guangdong, S Guangxi (Longzhou Xian, Rong Xian), Hainan, Taiwan, Yunnan [India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, New Guinea, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam].