Details
| Full name | Tradescantia brevifolia ‘Scout’. |
| Name status | Accepted, the valid name for a unique cultivar. Established with a description by Cistus Nursery (2021). |
| Origins | Collected from the mountains in West Texas (Cistus Nursery, 2021). |
| Classification | The species Tradescantia brevifolia is sometimes labelled with its botanical synonym Setcreasea brevifolia. |
| Legal protection | None. |
| Availability | Only known from Cistus Nursery (2021). |
Description
Preserved in a herbarium specimen (“Tradescantia brevifolia ‘Scout'”, 2023).
Described with reference to the RHS Colour Chart (6th Edition: 2019 reprint).
| Species | Tradescantia brevifolia. |
| Growth habit | Growth is initially fairly upright, but as the stems become longer they will start to sprawl and trail. |
| Foliage | Stems are 2-4mm thick with internodes 2-6cm long, strong yellow green (144C) to moderate olive green (137A), smooth and hairless. Leaves are narrow ovals, 4-7cm long and 1-2.5cm wide, scattered with hairs above and below. Upper surfaces are greyish olive green (NN137C) to moderate yellowish green (138A), with the edges becoming stained dark purplish red (N79A) in intense light. Undersides range from greyish yellow green (191A) to dark purplish grey (N187A). Sheaths are light yellow green (144D) to moderate yellow green (N148C). |
| Flowers | 2cm across and slightly fragrant. Petals are light purple (76A) at the edges, to very light purple (76B) near the centre, sometimes white at the very tips, with a slightly pointed shape. Stamen filaments are purple and anthers are yellow. |
References
Cistus Nursery. (2021). Fall 2021 Mail Order Catalog. Internet Archive link.
Tradescantia brevifolia ‘Scout’. (2023). [Herbarium specimen, barcode WSY0168547]. RHS Wisley Herbarium.