Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Tradescantia occidentalis

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Kingdom
  
Plantae

Family
  
Commelinaceae

Scientific name
  
Tradescantia occidentalis

Rank
  
Species

Order
  
Commelinales

Genus
  
Tradescantia

Higher classification
  
Spiderwort


Similar
  
Spiderwort, Tradescantia bracteata, Commelinaceae, Tradescantia ohiensis, Tradescantia crassula

Minnesota native plant western spiderwort tradescantia occidentalis var occidentalis


Tradescantia occidentalis, the prairie spiderwort or western spiderwort, is a plant in the dayflower family, Commelinaceae. It is common and widespread across the western Great Plains of the United States, as well as in Arizona, New Mexico, southern Utah and Sonora, but is listed as a threatened species in Canada.

Tradescantia occidentalis Tradescantia occidentalis Spiderwort

Like in a few other species of Tradescantia, the cells of the stamen hairs of Western spiderwort are normally colored blue, but when exposed neutron radiation or other forms of ionizing radiation, the cells mutate and change color to pink. Thus the plant can be used as a bioassay for radiation.

Tradescantia occidentalis Western Spiderwort Tradescantia Occidentalis
Tradescantia occidentalis Tradescantia occidentalis Spiderwort Minnesota Wildflowers

Tradescantia occidentalis FileTradescantia occidentalis 001 Matt Lavinjpg Wikimedia Commons

Tradescantia occidentalis Tradescantia occidentalis Colorado Wildflowers

References

Tradescantia occidentalis Wikipedia