Tradescantia spathacea Sw.

First published in Prodr. Veg. Ind. Occ.: 57 (1788)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Mexico to Guatemala. It is a subshrub and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome. It is used as a poison and a medicine, has environmental uses and for food.

Distribution

Native to:

Belize, Guatemala, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest

Introduced into:

Bahamas, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Chagos Archipelago, China Southeast, Christmas I., Cocos (Keeling) Is., Comoros, Cook Is., Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Fiji, Florida, Gambia, Gilbert Is., Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, Jamaica, Korea, Leeward Is., Line Is., Louisiana, Nansei-shoto, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niue, Norfolk Is., Ogasawara-shoto, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Seychelles, Tanzania, Tokelau-Manihiki, Tonga, Trinidad-Tobago, Tuamotu, Tubuai Is., Vanuatu, Venezuelan Antilles, Windward Is.

Synonyms

Homotypic Synonyms

Heterotypic Synonyms

Classification

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PAFTOL

POWO follows these authorities in accepting this name:

  • Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2005). Monocotyledons and Gymnosperms of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 52: 1-415.
  • Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.
  • Cabezas, F.J., de la Estrella, M., Aedo, C. & Velayos, M. (2009). Checklist of Commelinaceae of Equatorial Guinea (Annobón, Bioko and Río Mundi). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 159: 106-122.
  • Chang, C.S., Kim, H. & Chang, K.S. (2014). Provisional checklist of vascular plants for the Korea peninsula flora (KPF): 1-660. DESIGNPOST.
  • Evenhuis, N.L. & Eldredge, L.G. (eds.) (2012). Records of the Hawaii biological survey for 2011. Part II: plants. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 113: 1-102.
  • Govaerts, R. (2004). World Checklist of Monocotyledons Database in ACCESS: 1-54382. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • López-Ferrari, A.R., Espejo-Serna, A. & Ceja-Romero, J. (2014). Flora de Veracruz 161: 1-127. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones sobre Recursos Bióticos, Xalapa, Veracruz.
  • Nelson Sutherland, C.H. (2008). Catálogo de las plantes vasculares de Honduras. Espermatofitas: 1-1576. SERNA/Guaymuras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
  • Pasha, M.K. & Uddin, S.B. (2013). Dictionary of plant names of Bangladesh, Vasc. Pl.: 1-434. Janokalyan Prokashani, Chittagong, Bangladesh.
  • Plunkett, G.M., Ranker, T.A., Sam, C. & Balick, M.J. (2022). Towards a checklist of the vascular flora of Vanuatu. Candollea 77: 105-118.
  • Sykes, W.R. (2016). Flora of the Cook Islands: 1-973. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hawaii.

Flora of the Cayman Islands

  • Rhoeo discolor (L’Herit.) Hance (1853).
  • Sw., Prodr. 57 (June–July) (1788).

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.
  • Barthelat, F. (2019). La flore illustrée de Mayotte: 1-687. Biotope éditions.
  • Chang, C.S., Kim, H. & Chang, K.S. (2014). Provisional checklist of vascular plants for the Korea peninsula flora (KPF): 1-660. DESIGNPOST.
  • Hallé, N. (1983). Végétation de l'île Rurutu et additions au catalogue de la flore des îles Australes. Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. Section B, Adansonia 5(2): 141-150.
  • Jones, M. (1991). A checklist of Gambian plants: 1-33. Michael Jones, The Gambia College.
  • López-Ferrari, A.R., Espejo-Serna, A. & Ceja-Romero, J. (2014). Flora de Veracruz 161: 1-127. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones sobre Recursos Bióticos, Xalapa, Veracruz.
  • MacKee, H.S. (1994). Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie, ed. 2: 1-164. Museum national d'histoire naturelle, Paris.
  • Nelson Sutherland, C.H. (2008). Catálogo de las plantes vasculares de Honduras. Espermatofitas: 1-1576. SERNA/Guaymuras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
  • Orchard, A.E. (ed.) (1994). Oceanic Islands 1. Flora of Australia 49: 1-681. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
  • Pasha, M.K. & Uddin, S.B. (2013). Dictionary of plant names of Bangladesh, Vasc. Pl.: 1-434. Janokalyan Prokashani, Chittagong, Bangladesh.
  • Plunkett, G.M., Ranker, T.A., Sam, C. & Balick, M.J. (2022). Towards a checklist of the vascular flora of Vanuatu. Candollea 77: 105-118.
  • Sheppard, C.R.C. & Seaward, M.R.D. (eds.) (1999). Ecology of the Chagos archipelago: 1-350. Westbury Academic & Scientific Publishing, Otley.
  • St. John, H. (1988). Census of the Flora of the Gambier islands, Polynesia. Pacific Plant Studies 43: 1-34.
  • Sykes, W.R. (1970). Contributions to the flora of Niue. Bulletin, New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research 200: 1-321.
  • Sykes, W.R. (2016). Flora of the Cook Islands: 1-973. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hawaii.
  • Wester, L. (1985). Checklist of the vascular plants of the Northern Line Islands. Atoll Research Bulletin 287: 1-38.
  • Yuncker, T.G. (1959). Plants of Tonga. Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin 220: 1-283.

Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

  • Burkill HM. (1995). The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vols. 1-3. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vols 1-3.
  • Diazgranados et al. (2021). Catalogue of plants of Colombia. Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia project. In prep.
  • Diazgranados, M., Allkin, B., Black N., Cámara-Leret, R., Canteiro C., Carretero J., Eastwood R., Hargreaves S., Hudson A., Milliken W., Nesbitt, M., Ondo, I., Patmore, K., Pironon, S., Turner, R., Ulian, T. (2020). World Checklist of Useful Plant Species. Produced by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity.
  • FPI (2021). Food Plants International. https://fms.cmsvr.com/fmi/webd/Food_Plants_World?homeurl=https://foodplantsinternational.com/plants/
  • GBIF.org (2021). GBIF species matching tool. https://www.gbif.org/tools/species-lookup
  • GRIN (2021). Germplasm Resources Information Network from the United States Department of Agriculture. https://www.ars-grin.gov/
  • Medicinal Plant Names Services (MPNS) v.10 (2021); http://mpns.kew.org/
  • Ulian, T., Sacandé, M., Hudson, A., & Mattana, E. (2017). Conservation of indigenous plants to support community livelihoods: the MGU–Useful Plants Project. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 60:668-683.

Other Data

Other Kew resources that provide information on this taxon:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Shiu Ying Hu Hong Kong K003355741 Yes
s.coll. Liberia K003355745 Yes
Lundell, C.L. [s.n.] Belize K003398195 Yes
Fawcett [s.n.] Cayman Islands K000363275 Type Yes
WBC K003355739 Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] K003355757 Yes
Contreras, E. [1130] Guatemala K003398192 Yes
Gaumer, G.F. [1831] Mexico K003398187 Yes
s.coll. K003355740 Yes
Gaumer, G.F. [s.n.] Mexico K003398189 Yes
Wright, C. Japan K003355738 Yes
Contreras, E. [1545] Guatemala K003398193 Yes
Contreras, E. [449] Guatemala K003398190 Yes
s.coll. Philippines K003355742 Yes
Lundell, C.L. [s.n.] Belize K003398194 Yes
Powell, D.A. Christmas Island K003355747 Yes
Kerr, M.G.F. Thailand K003355749 Yes
Gentle, P.H. [9215] Belize K003398198 Yes
Kerr, A.F.G. Thailand K003355748 Yes
Faulkner, H.G. Tanzania K003355751 Yes
Bourne India K003355744 Yes
Mogensen, B. [1173] Mexico K003398186 Yes
Hunt, D.R. [7068] Belize K:SPC-13903.015 No
Schipp, W.A. [1099] Belize K003398196 Yes
Kerr, A.F.G. [15143] Thailand K003355758 Yes
Wallich K003355737 Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] Sierra Leone K003355754 Yes
Emwiogbon, J.A. [FHI48092] Nigeria K003355755 Yes
Lundell, C.L. [15341] Guatemala K003398191 Yes
Faulkner, H. [2624] Tanzania K:SPC-06608.000 No
Philcox, D. [8079] Trinidad and Tobago K003398466 Yes
Hunt, D.R. [7085] Belize K:SPC-13903.003 No
Atha, D.E.; Walker, J.; Cocom, E.; Romero, P. [974] Belize K003398197 Yes
Gaumer, G.F. [s.n.] Mexico K003398188 Yes
s.coll. India K003355746 Yes
s.coll. K003355750 Yes
Gledhill, D. [1034] K003355756 Yes
Merrill Philippines K003355743 Yes

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images
  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0