Abstract
Tradescantia fluminensis (small-leaf spiderwort) is a perennial subsucculent herb native to tropical and subtropical regions of Brazil and Argentina. The species has been introduced to the United States and countries in many parts of the world where it is often considered invasive. This 7-page fact sheet describes the small-leaf spiderwort, its taxonomy, geographical distribution, biology and ecology, reproduction and colonization, its impact as a weed in the southeastern United States, and ways of managing the spread of small-leaf spiderwort. Written by Jason C. Setiz and Mark W. Clark, and published by the Department of Soil and Water Science, January 2016.
References
Burns, J.H., R.B. Faden, and S.J. Steppan. 2011. "Phylogenetic studies in the Commelinaceae subfamily Commelinoideae inferred from nuclear ribosomal and chloroplast DNA sequences." Systematic Botany 36(2):268-276. https://doi.org/10.1600/036364411X569471
Butcher, E.R. and D. Kelly. 2011. "Physical and anthropogenic factors predict distribution of the invasive weed Tradescantia fluminensis." Austral Ecology 36(6):621-627. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2010.02196.x
Ciuffo, M., V. Masenga, and M. Turina. 2005. "Characterization of a potyvirus isolated from Tradescantia fluminensis in northern Italy." Archives of Virology 151(6):1235-1241. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-005-0691-x
Cuevas, J.G., A. Marticorena, and L.A. Cavieres. 2004. "New additions to the introduced flora of the Juan Fernández Islands: origin, distribution, life history traits, and potential of invasion." Revista Chilena de Histora Natural 77(3):523-538. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0716-078X2004000300011
da Conceição Vellozo. J.M. 1825. Florae Fluminensis, seu Descriptionum Plantarum Praefectura Fluminensi Sponte Nascentium Liber Primus ad Systema Sexuale Concinnatus Augustissimae Dominae Nostrae. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Eichlin, T.D. and H.B. Cunningham. 1978. The Plusiinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of America North of Mexico, Enphasizing Genitalic and Larval Morphology. Technical Bulletin No. 1567, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
Eminağaoğlu, O., M. Özcan, and S. Kültür. 2012. "Contributions to the leaf and stem anatomy of Tradescantia fluminensis: an alien species new to the flora of Turkey." Artvin Çoruh Üniversitesi Orman Fakültesi Dergisi 13(2):270-277.
Eyles, A.C. 1999. "Introduced Mirinae of New Zealand (Hemiptera: Miridae)." New Zealand Journal of Zoology 26(4):355-372. https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.1999.9518199
Faden, R.B. 1998. "Commelinaceae." Pp. 109-127 in: K. Kubitzki (ed.) The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants, Volume 4. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Germany.
Faden, R.B. 2000. "Commelinaceae." Pp. 170-197 in: Flora of North America Editorial Committee (eds.) Flora of North America North of Mexico. Volume 22: Magnoliophyta: Alismatidae, Arecidae, Commelinidae (in part), and Zingiberidae. New York, NY.
Faden, R.B. and D.R. Hunt. 1991. "The classification of the Commelinaceae." Taxon 40(1):19-31. https://doi.org/10.2307/1222918
Farr, D.F. and A.Y. Rossman. 2013. Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory Fungus-Host Database [online resource]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. Retrieved 10 March 2013 from http://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/
Flora of Alabama. 2016. "Alabama Plant Atlas". Alabama Herbarium Consortium & The University of West Alabama. http://www.floraofalabama.org/
Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council. 2015. Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council's 2015 list of Invasive Plant Species [online resource]. Retrieved April 18, 2016 from http://www.fleppc.org/list/2015FLEPPCLIST-LARGEFORMAT-FINAL.pdf
Godfrey, R.K. and J.W. Wooten. 1979. Aquatic and Wetland Plants of Southeastern United States. Monocotyledons. The University of Georgia Press, Athens, GA.
Guézou, A., M. Trueman, C.E. Buddenhagen, S. Chamorro, A.M. Guerrero, P. Pozo, R. Atkinson. 2010. "An extensive alien plant inventory from the inhabited areas of Galapagos." PLoS ONE 5(4):e10276. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010276
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. 2016. Conclusions from the IFAS Assessment of Non-native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas [online resource]. Retrieved April 18 2016 from http://assessment.ifas.ufl.edu/assessments/tradescantia-fluminensis/.
Hardy, C.R. and J. Ryndock. 2012. "Floral morphology and organogenesis in Tinantia pringlei, along with a review of floral developmental variation in the spiderwort family, Commelinaceae." Botanical Review 78(4):416-427. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12229-012-9108-1
Holm, L., J.V. Pancho, J.P. Herberger, and D.L. Plucknett. 1979. A Geographic Atlas of World Weeds. John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY.
Hurrell, G.A. T. Belton, C.S. Lusk, and S.L. Lamoureaux. 2012. "Tradescantia management in a New Zealand National Park." Ecological Management & Restoration 13(3):311-314. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-8903.2012.00664.x
Hurrel, G.A. and C.S. Lusk. 2012. "Survival of Tradescantia fluminensis in sea water." Ecological Management & Restoration 13(3):314-316. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-8903.2012.00663.x
Jaeger, E.C. 1944. A Source-Book of Biological Names and Terms. Charles C Thomas, Springfield, IL.
Kelly, D. and J.P. Skipworth. 1984a. "Tradescantia fluminensis in a Manawatu (New Zealand) forest: I. Growth and effects on regeneration." New Zealand Journal of Botany 22(3):393-397. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1984.10425270
Kelly, D. and J.P. Skipworth. 1984b. "Tradescantia fluminensis in a Manawatu (New Zealand) forest: II. Management by herbicides." New Zealand Journal of Botany 22(3):399-402. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1984.10425271
Landolt, P.J. 1993. "Suitability of six species of Commelinaceae as larval hosts of Mouralia tinctoides (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae, Plusiinae)." Florida Entomologist 76(4):572-576. https://doi.org/10.2307/3495787
Langeland, K.A., H.M. Cherry, C.M. McCormick, and K.A. Craddock Burks. 2008. Identification and Biology of Nonnative Plants in Florida's Natural Areas. SP 257. Gainesville: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Maule, H.G., M. Andrews, J.D. Morton, A.V. Jones, and G.T. Daly. 1995. "Sun/shade acclimation and nitrogen nutrition of Tradescantia fluminensis, a problem weed in New Zealand forest remnants." New Zealand Journal of Ecology 19(1):35-46.
McMillan, B.A. 1999. Tradescantia fluminensis: An Exotic Invasive Species in Florida's Mesic Hardwood Forests. MS thesis, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
Missouri Botanical Garden. 2016. "Plant Finder" http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/
Ogle, C. and B. Lovelock. 1989. Methods for the control of wandering Jew (Tradescantia fluminensis) at "Rangitawa", Rangitikei District, and notes on other aspects of conserving this forest remnant. Science and Research Internal Report 56, New Zealand Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand.
Orchard, A.E. 1994. Flora of Australia, Volume 49, Oceanic Islands 1. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, Australia.
Panigo, E., J. Ramos, L. Lucero, M. Perreta, and A. Vegetti. 2011. "The inflorescence in Commelinaceae." Flora 206(4):294-299. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.flora.2010.07.003
Samoilova, O.P., V.V. Ptushenko, I.V. Kuvykin, S.A. Kiselev, O.S. Ptushenko, and A.N. Tikhonov. 2011. "Effects of light environment on the induction of chlorophyll fluorescence in leaves: A comparative study of Tradescantia species of different ecotypes." Biosystems 105(1):41-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystems.2011.03.003
Schmitz, D.C., D. Simberloff, R.H. Hofstetter, W. Haller, and D. Sutton. 1997. "The ecological impact of nonindigenous plants." Pp. 39-61 In: D. Simberloff, D.C. Schmitz, and T.C. Brown (eds.) Strangers in Paradise: Impact and Management of Nonindigenous Species in Florida. Island Press, Washington, D.C.
Small, J.K. 1933. Manual of the Southeastern Flora, Being Descriptions of the Seed Plants Growing Naturally in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Eastern Louisiana, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.696
Standish, R.J. 2001a. Prospects for Biological Control of Tradescantia fluminensis Vell. (Commelinaceae). Science Internal Series 9, New Zealand Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand.
Standish, R.J. 2001b. The Ecological Impact and Control of an Invasive Weed Tradescantia fluminensis in Lowland Forest Remnants. Ph.D. Dissertation, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.0021-8901.2001.00673.x
Standish, R.J. 2002. "Experimenting with methods to control Tradescantia fluminensis, an invasive weed of native forest remnants in New Zealand." New Zealand Journal of Ecology 26(2):161-170.
Standish, R.J. 2004. "Impact of an invasive clonal herb on epigaeic invertebrates in forest remnants in New Zealand." Biological Conservation 116(1):49-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3207(03)00172-1
Standish, R.J., A.W. Robertson, and P.A. Williams. 2001. "The impact of an invasive weed Tradescantia fluminensis on native forest regeneration." Journal of Applied Ecology 38(6):1253-1263. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.0021-8901.2001.00673.x
Staples, G.W., D.R. Herbst, C.T. Imada. 2006. "New Hawaiian plant records for 2004. In: N.L. Evenhuis, and L.G. Eldredge (eds.) Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2004-2005, Part 2: Notes." Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 88(1):6-9.
Tan, K. 1984. Commelina L. pp. 554-555. In: P.H. Davis (ed.) Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands. Volume 8. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Thaman, R.R., F.R. Fosberg, H.I. Manner, and D.C. Hassall. 1994. The Flora of Nauru. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 392, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00775630.392.1
Toft, R.J., R.J. Harris, and P.A. Williams. 2001. "Impacts of the weed Tradescantia fluminensis on insect communities in fragmented forests in New Zealand." Biological Conservation 102(1):31-46.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3207(01)00091-X
Tolkach, V.F., A.Kh. Chuyan, and A.V. Krylov. 1990. "Characterization of a potyvirus isolated from Tradescantia albiflora in a southern locality of the Soviet far east." Byulleten' Glavnogo Botanicheskogo Sada 157:76-80.
Wilcock, R.J., J. Costley, R.J. Cowles, B. Wilson, and P. Southgate. 1991. "Stream run-off losses and soil and grass residues of triclopyr applied to hillside gorse." New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 34(3):351-357. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288233.1991.10417675
Wunderlin, R.P. and B.F. Hansen. 2003. Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
Yeates, G.W. and P.A. Williams. 2001. "Influence of three invasive weeds and site factors on soil microfauna in New Zealand." Pedobiologia 45(4):367-383 https://doi.org/10.1078/0031-4056-00093