Tradescantia spathacea Sw.
| Family: | COMMELINACEAE |
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| Sub-Family: | Not available | ||||
| English Name: | Boat Lily | ||||
| Synonym: | Rhoeo spathacea (Sw.)Stearn | ||||
| Common Name: | Rheo, Oyster plant, Moses-in-the-boat | ||||
| Flowering & Fruiting Period: | September-April | ||||
| Distribution: | South East Mexico to Guatemala, widely introduced elsewere | ||||
| Habitat: | Grown as garden plant | ||||
| Uses: | Ornamental | ||||
| Key Characteristics: | Tradescantia spathacea commonly called Moses-in-a-basket or oyster plant is a clump-forming evergreen perennial. It is widely cultivated in tropical areas because of its attractive foliage. It typically grows as a 6-12" tall rosette consisting of narrow, spirally arranged, linear-lanceolate, stiffly-ascending, sword-shaped, dark green leaves with purple undersides. White flowers in axillary cymes are enclosed by long- lasting, boat-shaped, purple bracts, hence the common name of Moses-in-a-basket. Flowers bloom throughout the year. | ||||