Wandering Jew (plant)
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Tradescantia pallida |
Commonly called the Wandering Jew, the Tradescantia pallida or Setcreasea purpurea is an evergreen perennial plant with elongated pointy leaves and small three-petaled pink flowers with yellow stamens. The leaves are most often purple, though another common variety has green and purple leaves; rarer varieties are green and white or variegated. The plant thrives in sun or light shade in subtropical areas, grows to about a foot tall, and is typically used as an ornamental in gardens and borders. The plant is also used as a ground cover or hanging plant.
The plant propagates easily by cuttings; the stems are visibly segmented and roots will frequently grow from the joints.
The Wandering Jew is native to America and is found from the southern United States through South America; in many areas it is considered an invasive weed.
The NCBI uses the classification Setcreasea purpurea, a classification which the ITIS rejects as a synonym of Tradescantia pallida. Oddly, some websites list Setcreasea purpurea as a synonym of Setcreasea pallida.
References: http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=521419 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?mode=Info&id=59015&lvl=3&keep=1&srchmode=1&unlock