Tradescantia zebrina Bosse

Taxonomy: Plantae > Tracheophyta > Liliopsida > Commelinales > Commelinaceae > Tradescantia > T. zebrina

Description: T. zebrina is a succulent, trailing herbaceous plant, distinguished by its paired, silvery green leaves flushed with purple on the upper surface and purple underneath, asymmetrical at the base. It has bright pink flowers with three petals. The fruit are small capsules containing greyish-brown seeds. Creeping and pendulous, succulent herb, rooting readily at nodes; stems, leaves and floral bracts tinged with purple-red. Leaves spaced along stem; petiole ca 2 mm long, passing into basal ciliate sheath; lamina ovate, 2-5 cm long, green tinged with purple-red, especially beneath, usually with ca 3 darker, broad, longitudinal stripes. Inflorescence terminal, of 2 short cincinni subtended closely by 2 leaf-like bracts. Petals ovate, 10-12 mm long, delicate, connate in lower half into a narrow white tube, purple-magenta.Fruit (when present) a 3-locule capsule with 1-2-seeds per capsule.

Flowering and Fruiting: Blooms throughout the year

Uses: The plant, also known as Wandering Jew, is used additionally to treat problems of the uterus, high blood pressure and tuberculosis. Sometimes Tradescantia zebrina is used in a mixture with other types of herbs to treat amenorrhea and to strengthen the blood.

Cultivation: Cultivated

References

http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org

https://indiabiodiversity.org