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Purple and Blue Wildflower Gallery

Bilateral Symmetry - Spiderwort Family

              

Commelinaceae - Spiderwort family
Erect Dayflower (White-mouth Dayflower, Widow's Tears) Commelina erecta (Commelina elegans)
Flower is about 1"-1 1/2" wide with two large blue petals (can be lavender or white) and one clear/white petal. 3 yellow staminodes (sterile stamen) with cross anthers; one yellow stamen with larger cross anthers; 3 long stamen, curled upward, lavender with purple anthers. Flower comes out of a leaf-like pod called a spathe, 3/4"-1 1/4" long, joined at the edge. Grass-like leaves can be 2"-6" long and 3/4"-1 1/2" wide, clasp stem at base. Sprawling to 2 feet tall plant , will root at nodes. A drop of liquid sometimes drips from the spathe if squeezed, hence the common name of Widow's Tears. Deer and cattle eat the leaves and stems. Birds eat the seed.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, June 2004, April 2010
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Callahan, Coleman, Brown, Coke)

This species is common throughout most of the world. Variations in leaf and spathe sizes have given rise to scientific differentiation. These are three from the United States.

Commelina erecta var. angustifolia (Commelina angustifolia)
A drop of liquid sometimes drips from the spathe if squeezed, hence the common name of Widow's Tears.
Photos taken by Eric Runfeldt in Coryell County, Texas, June 2007

Similar Species

Asiatic Dayflower  Commelina communis
Blue petals are more pointed than C. erecta and stand more vertical.
(Introduced, native of Asia, invasive - Coleman, Brown)

              

Commelinaceae - Spiderwort family
Prairie Spiderwort Tradescantia occidentalis
Flower about 1" and are in clusters with 1-3 very long bracts. Flowers fade in the heat. Flower colors come in purple, blue, pink, white. Upright to somewhat sprawling plant grows to about 18" tall. Leaves are very long and thin.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, April-May 2004, May-June 2005
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Callahan, Brown, Runnels, Coke, Fisher)

           

Commelinaceae - Spiderwort family
Reverchon's Spiderwort Tradescantia reverchonii
Bright blue-violet to rose or white flowers with bearded filaments. Linear leaves, 4"-12" long, spirally arranged. Erect unbranched plant, 1-3 feet tall. This is a very fuzzy plant; even the thick fleshy roots have fealty hairs, red-brown.
Flower & root photos taken by Sonnia Hill in Van Zandt County, Texas, May 2006
Leaf photo taken in Smith County, Texas, November 2006
(Native of east Texas)

  

Commelinaceae - Spiderwort family
Wandering Jew Tradescantia pallida
Flowers pink to purple have 3 petals, sterile (no seed). Stem segments produce roots at nodes. Broken segments root easily and propagates plant. Elongated pointed linear leaves, green to purple, spirally arranged. Sprawling, shade-tolerant plant.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, September 2006
(cultivated, native of eastern Mexico, invasive - not a problem in my area)

Similar Species

Wandering Jew Tradescantia fluminensis
Small white flowers. Shorter leaves.
(cultivated, native of South America, invasive - not a problem in my area)

Wandering Jew Tradescantia zebrina
Leaves have green and silver stripes on top with purple underneath. White sap can cause skin irritation in prolonged handling.
(cultivated, native of Mexico, invasive - not a problem in my area)