Promoted
Virginia Spiderwort - Tradescantia virginiana
Violet flowers with 3 large petals. Yellow, hairy stamens in a terminal cluster above long, narrow leaf-like bracts. Leaves are long and folded lengthwise, forming a channel.
The flowers of this plant only open in the morning, after which the petals then wilt and turn into a jelly-like fluid. The hairs on the stamens consist of a chain of thin-walled cells, which are interesting to examine under a microscope because the flowing cytoplasm and nucleus can easily be seen.
Spotted in a large, sandy meadow.
''Tradescantia virginiana'' is a species of ''Tradescantia'' native to the eastern United States. Spiderwort is commonly grown in gardens and many garden spiderworts seem to be hybrids of ''T. virginiana'' and other ''Tradescantia'' species.
