Genus: Tradescantia

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Monocotyledons > Commelinales > Family: Commelinaceae

About 60 species, native to North and South America. At least 10 species have been cultivated in southern African gardens of which one, Tradescantia flumensis, has become naturalised in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.

Species naturalised in southern Africa

List from Plants of Southern Africa - an Online Checklist (SANBI).

Other species, cultivated in southern Africa

From Glen (2002).

Tradescantia bracteata
Tradescantia cerinthoides [= Tradescantia blossfeldiana]
Tradescantia fluminensis Native to Brazil and Argentina.
Tradescantia geniculata Native to central America.
Tradescantia pallida [= Setcreasia purpurea] Native to Mexico.
Tradescantia sillamontana Native to Mexico.
Tradescantia spathacea (Boat lily) Native from Mexico to Guatemala.
Tradescantia virginiana (Spiderwort) Native to eastern USA.
Tradescantia zanonia
Tradescantia zebrina Native to Mexico.