TRADESCANTIA VIRGINIANA L.
Tradcscantia Virgimana L. Sp. Pl. 288. 1753. Tradescantia rnpcstris Raf. Atl. Journ. 15o. 1832.
Perennial by a cluster of rather thick white or yellowish roots, stout or stoutish, glabrous or nearly so, bright green. Stems usually clustered, erect, 2 dm. or mostly 3-4 dm. tall, nearly straight, simple ; leaves linear or linear-lanceolate, i or usually 2-7 dm. long, acuminate, more or less curved, nearly flat or in volutely folded ; sheaths 1-3 cm. long, sometimes slightly ciliate ; involucre of 2 lanceolate or linear-lanceolate nearly equal or very unequal leaf-like bracts which are usually much smaller than the leaves; flowers dark blue or purplish or rarely white, large, 3-4 cm. broad; pedicels 2.5 5 cm. long, sepals large, elliptic, ovate or
ovate-lanceolate, 12-18 mm. long, obtuse or acutish, villous with long non-glandular hairs about twice as long as broad, becoming membranous; petals sub-orbicular, 1.4-2 cm. in diameter ; capsule 5-7 mm. long, glabrous; seeds oblong, about 3 mm. long.
Hillsides and along streams, New York and Illinois, Virginia nd Arkansas. May—June.