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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

C. erecta var. erecta (Commelina elegans) = lanceolate leaves (1.5--)2--4 cm wide, and spathes (2.2--)2.5--3.6 cm

C. erecta var. angustifolia (Commelina angustifolia) = narrowly lanceolate leaves 0.3--1.5 cm wide, and spathes 1--2 cm

C. erecta var. deamiana = narrowly lanceolate leaves 0.5--1.7 cm wide, and spathes 2--3.5 cm

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

(Native of Texas)

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

(Native of Texas)

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)

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 felty hairs, red-brown .

Flower & root photos taken by Sonnia Hill inVan Zandt County, Texas, May 2006

Leaf photo taken in Smith County, Texas, November 2006

(Native of east Texas)

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