| 1 |
Flowers subsessile; petals clawed, claws connate at least basally; stamens epipetalous. |
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(2) |
| + |
Flowers distinctly pedicellate; petals neither clawed nor connate; stamens free. |
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(6) |
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| 2 (1) |
Leaves 2-ranked, bases oblique, cuneate; blade usually variegated; sepals connate basally |
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30 Tradescantia zebrina |
| + |
Leaves spirally arranged, bases symmetric, rounded to broadly cuneate; blade not variegated; sepals distinct. |
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(3) |
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| 3 (2) |
Leaves narrowly lanceolate, apex acuminate; stamen filaments glabrous |
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29 Tradescantia leiandra |
| + |
Leaves lanceolate-elliptic to oblong-elliptic or ovate, apex obtuse to abruptly acute-apiculate; stamen filaments glabrous or bearded. |
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(4) |
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| 4 (3) |
Leaves oblong-elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, mostly 7--15 cm; peduncle (3.5--)4--13 cm; leaves usually purplish violet |
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28 Tradescantia pallida |
| + |
Leaves oblong-elliptic to ovate, mostly 3--7 cm; peduncle 1--5(--6) cm; leaves green. |
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(5) |
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| 5 (4) |
Filaments and ovary glabrous; flowering June to October |
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26 Tradescantia brevifolia |
| + |
Filaments bearded, ovary densely bearded; flowering February to May |
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27 Tradescantia buckleyi |
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| 6 (1) |
Sprawling to decumbent plants rooting at nodes; leaves lanceolate to lanceolate-elliptic or lanceolate-oblong to ovate-lanceolate or ovate-elliptic. |
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(7) |
| + |
Erect or ascending plants, rarely rooting at nodes; leaves mostly linear-lanceolate to lanceolate-oblong. |
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(8) |
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| 7 (6) |
Leaves lanceolate-elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, to 5 2 cm; cyme pairs usually 1--2 per shoot; bracts all or mostly foliaceous, occasionally reduced |
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24 Tradescantia fluminensis |
| + |
Leaves lanceolate-oblong to ovate-elliptic, to 10 3.5 cm; cyme pairs 2--4 per shoot; bracts, especially those of axillary inflorescences, usually reduced |
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25 Tradescantia crassula |
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| 8 (6) |
Inflorescences all or chiefly axillary. |
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(9) |
| + |
Inflorescences terminal, commonly terminal and axillary. |
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(10) |
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| 9 (8) |
Inflorescences pedunculate in axils well proximal to shoot apex, enclosed in boat-shaped spathes; leaves glabrous; flowers white |
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23 Tradescantia spathacea |
| + |
Inflorescences mostly sessile in axils of distal leaves; boat-shaped spathes absent; leaves usually arachnoid-villous; flowers blue to purple |
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22 Tradescantia crassifolia |
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| 10 (8) |
Distal leaf blades wider than opened, flattened sheaths. |
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(11) |
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Distal leaf blades equal to or narrower than opened, flattened sheaths. |
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(14) |
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| 11 (10) |
Pedicels 1--1.7 cm; proximal leaves petiolate; stems frequently flexuous; plants flowering mainly May--Sep |
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1 Tradescantia subaspera |
| + |
Pedicels (1.5--)2--3.2 cm; proximal leaves narrowed directly into sheath; stems not flexuous; plants flowering mainly Feb--May. |
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(12) |
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| 12 (11) |
Sepals 9--16 mm, ± inflated, eglandular-pilose; flowers usually deep blue, purple, or rose-red |
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4 Tradescantia ernestiana |
| + |
Sepals 6--12 mm, not inflated, glandular-pilose or mixed glandular- and eglandular-pubescent; flowers usually white or pale pink to pale lavender. |
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(13) |
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| 13 (12) |
Leaves not glaucous; capsules 8--10 mm |
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2 Tradescantia edwardsiana |
| + |
Leaves ± glaucous; capsules 6--8 mm |
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3 Tradescantia ozarkana |
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| 14 (10) |
Sepals glabrous or with eglandular hairs only (very rarely a few minute glandular hairs at base). |
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(15) |
| + |
Sepals pubescent with glandular and often eglandular hairs. |
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(21) |
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| 15 (14) |
Sepals glabrous (or with apical tuft of eglandular hairs or a few minute glandular hairs at base). |
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(16) |
| + |
Sepals covered with eglandular hairs. |
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(18) |
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| 16 (15) |
Stems 5--18 cm; pedicels, sepal bases often with minute glandular hairs; petals 10 mm |
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20 Tradescantia wrightii |
| + |
Stems 15--115 cm; pedicels glabrous; sepals glabrous or with apical tuft of eglandular hairs; petals usually 0.8--20 mm. |
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(17) |
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| 17 (16) |
Plants distinctly glaucous; leaves 5--45 cm, arcuate, forming acute angle with stem (also see Tradescantia occidentalis var. scopulorum) |
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5 Tradescantia ohiensis |
| + |
Plants not at all to slightly glaucous; leaves 4--11 cm, straight, forming nearly right angle with stem |
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6 Tradescantia paludosa |
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| 18 (15) |
Bracts saccate at base, blades reduced, densely, minutely velvety . |
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7 Tradescantia gigantea |
| + |
Bracts not saccate at base, blades well developed, sparsely to densely pilose. |
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(19) |
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| 19 (18) |
Flowering stems 2--7 cm (elongating to 20 cm in fruit), pilose to villous; sepals purple or rose-colored (rarely pale green), not inflated; rocky prairies |
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8 Tradescantia tharpii |
| + |
Flowering stems 5--50 cm, glabrous to pilose or hirsute; sepals various; habitat various but rarely rocky prairies. |
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(20) |
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| 20 (19) |
Roots (1.5--)2--4 mm thick; stems commonly glabrous proximal to inflorescence; sepals usually ± inflated; ne and Appalachian |
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9 Tradescantia virginiana |
| + |
Roots 1--1.5(--2) mm thick; stems usually pilose to hirsute throughout; sepals not inflated; se |
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10 Tradescantia hirsutiflora |
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| 21 (14) |
Pedicels 0.8--1 cm, glandular-puberulent; sepals 4--6 mm; petals 9--12 mm; hilum much shorter than seed |
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21 Tradescantia pinetorum |
| + |
Pedicels (0.8--)1--6 cm, glandular- or eglandular-pubescent; sepals (4--)6--16 mm; petals (6--)10--19 mm; hilum as long as seed. |
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(22) |
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| 22 (21) |
Sepals with mostly glandular pubescence. |
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(23) |
| + |
Sepals with mixture of glandular, eglandular pubescence. |
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(25) |
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| 23 (22) |
Internodes and leaves glabrous |
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11 Tradescantia occidentalis |
| + |
Internodes pubescent (rarely glabrous in Tradescantia roseolens) |
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(24) |
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| 24 (23) |
Pedicels 1--2.8 cm; roots all thin and fibrous; South Carolina to Florida and Alabama |
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12 Tradescantia roseolens |
| + |
Pedicels 2.5--4.5 cm; at least some roots thick and tuberous; Texas |
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13 Tradescantia pedicellata |
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| 25 (22) |
Stems, leaves completely glabrous; plants glaucous; sepal hairs mainly glandular (also see Tradescantia roseolens). |
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11 Tradescantia occidentalis |
| + |
Stems, leaves usually sparsely to densely pubescent, if glabrous then sepal hairs mainly eglandular; plants usually not glaucous (somewhat glaucous in T. roseolens); sepal hairs various. |
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(26) |
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| 26 (25) |
Stems densely arachnoid-pubescent; roots thick, brownish-tomentose. |
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(27) |
| + |
Stems variously pubescent but not arachnoid-pubescent; roots various but not brownish-tomentose. |
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(28) |
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| 27 (26) |
Stems erect or ascending, unbranched or sparsely branched, 30--105 cm |
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14 Tradescantia reverchonii |
| + |
Stems spreading, diffusely branched, 10--30 cm. |
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15 Tradescantia subacaulis |
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| 28 (26) |
Plants diffuse, spreading; stems much branched . |
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16 Tradescantia humilis |
| + |
Plants erect or ascending; stems unbranched or sparsely branched. |
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(29) |
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| 29 (28) |
Sepal hairs mainly eglandular, glandular hairs few, inconspicuous |
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10 Tradescantia hirsutiflora |
| + |
Sepal hairs mainly glandular or eglandular, glandular hairs numerous, conspicuous. |
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(30) |
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| 30 (29) |
Sepals puberulent, hairs all less than 1 mm; roots relatively thin, 0.5--1(--2) mm thick |
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12 Tradescantia roseolens |
| + |
Sepals pilose-puberulent, longer hairs 1.5--6 mm; roots relatively stout, 1--3 mm thick. |
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(31) |
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| 31 (30) |
Plants bright green; stems, leaves usually glabrous |
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17 Tradescantia bracteata |
| + |
Plants dull green; stems, leaves usually pubescent (rarely glabrescent). |
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(32) |
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| 32 (31) |
Stems (2--)15--40 cm; pedicels 1.5--3.5 cm; leaves, bracts puberulent, usually sparsely to densely pilose, margins ± densely ciliolate |
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18 Tradescantia hirsuticaulis |
| + |
Stems 2--10 cm; pedicels (2--)4--6 cm; leaves, bracts pilose but not puberulent, margins sparsely ciliate |
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19 Tradescantia longipes |
