spiderwort

spiderwort
/spuy"deuhr werrt', -wawrt'/, n.
1. any plant of the genus Tradescantia, having blue, purple, or rose-colored flowers.
2. any of several related plants.
[1590-1600; SPIDER + WORT2]

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Any of 20 or more erect to trailing, weak-stemmed herbs native to North and South America that make up the genus Tradescantia (family Commelinaceae).

Several species are grown as indoor plants in baskets, especially the wandering Jews (T. albiflora, with green leaves, and T. fluminensis, with purplish underleaves). White velvet, or white-gossamer (T. sillamontana), has leaves and stems covered with a whitish fuzz. Chain plant (T. navicularis) has fleshy, narrow, lengthwise-folded leaves. Common spiderwort, or widow's tears (T. virginiana), is an upright, juicy-stemmed garden plant with white to purple flowers. Because they are easy to propagate, spiderworts are very popular indoor plants.

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▪ plant genus
      any member of the genus Tradescantia (family Commelinaceae), which includes 20 or more erect to trailing, weak-stemmed herbs native to North and South America. Several species are grown as indoor plants in baskets, especially the wandering Jews (T. albiflora and T. fluminensis); among other slight differences, the former is green-leaved and the latter has purplish underleaves. White velvet, or white-gossamer (T. sillamontana), has leaves and stems covered with a whitish fuzz. Flowering inch plant (T. blossfeldiana), with leaves green and smooth above, purplish and fuzzy beneath, has purplish hairy blossoms. The chain plant (T. navicularis) has fleshy, narrow, lengthwise-folded leaves about 2.5 cm (1 inch) long. T. × andersoniana comprises a complex series of garden hybrids. Also grown in the garden is the common spiderwort, or widow's tears (T. virginiana), an upright juicy-stemmed plant with white to purple flowers. The spiderworts are of extremely easy culture, taking root readily from cuttings, and thus are very popular indoor plants. Certain species resemble but should not be confused with Zebrina species.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • spiderwort — [spī′dərwʉrt΄] n. any of a genus (Tradescantia) of fleshy perennial plants of the spiderwort family, having grasslike leaves and showy purplish, white, or pink flowers adj. designating a family (Commelinaceae, order Commelinales) of… …   English World dictionary

  • Spiderwort — Spi der*wort , n. (Bot.) An American endogenous plant ({Tradescantia Virginica}), with long linear leaves and ephemeral blue flowers. The name is sometimes extended to other species of the same genus. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • spiderwort — noun Date: 1629 any of a genus (Tradescantia of the family Commelinaceae, the spiderwort family) of American monocotyledonous plants with ephemeral often blue or violet flowers …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • spiderwort — šiaudenis statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Šeima. Šiaudeniniai – Asphodelaceae Juss. atitikmenys: lot. Anthericum angl. antheric; anthericum; spiderwort vok. Graslilie rus. венечник lenk. pajęcznica …   Dekoratyvinių augalų vardynas

  • spiderwort — tradeskantė statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Šeima. Komelininiai – Commelinaceae Mirb. atitikmenys: lot. Tradescantia angl. spiderwort vok. Dreimasterblume; Tradescantie rus. традесканция lenk. trzykrotka …   Dekoratyvinių augalų vardynas

  • spiderwort — brazilinė tradeskantė statusas T sritis vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Tradescantia fluminensis angl. spiderwort; spidy Jenny; wandering jew vok. Rio Tradescantie rus. традесканция миртолистная; традесканция приречная lenk. trzykrotka wężykowata;… …   Dekoratyvinių augalų vardynas

  • spiderwort family — noun large widely distributed family of chiefly perennial herbs or climbers: spiderworts • Syn: ↑Commelinaceae, ↑family Commelinaceae • Hypernyms: ↑monocot family, ↑liliopsid family • Member Holonyms: ↑Xyridales, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • spiderwort — noun A perennial plant of the Tradescantia genus, found in clumps in woodland and meadow …   Wiktionary

  • Spiderwort — Tradescantia (E) …   EthnoBotanical Dictionary

  • spiderwort — noun an American plant whose flowers bear long hairy stamens. [Tradescantia virginiana (N. America) and related species.] …   English new terms dictionary

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