Details
| Full name | Tradescantia spathacea ‘HANSOTI02’. |
| Name status | Accepted, the valid name for a unique cultivar. Established with a description by Hansoti (2007). Because it is a legal protection registration, the name is accepted permanently over any other (Brickell et al., 2016, Arts. 11.3, 11.4). Also known as:
The name has been misspelled ‘Sitake’s Gold’ (Bustani Plant Farm, 2013, p. 38) and ‘Sitara’s Gold’ (Steve’s Leaves, 2021). |
| Origins | Origins documented by Hansoti (2010). Found as a mutation among unnamed Tradescantia spathacea plants, during a breeding program intended to develop brighter variegation. Selected by Ashish Arvind Hansoti in 2005 near Mumbai, India. |
| Classification | The species Tradescantia spathacea is sometimes sold under its botanical synonyms Tradescantia discolor, Rhoeo spathacea, and Rhoeo discolor. |
| Legal protection | Patented in the USA (Hansoti, 2010). Previously protected by plant breeder’s rights in the EU (Hansoti, 2007) and Japan (Hansoti, 2011), both now withdrawn. |
| Availability | Available from many nurseries. |
Description
Described with reference to the RHS Colour Chart (6th Edition: 2019 reprint).
| Species | Tradescantia spathacea. |
| Growth habit | Compact, upright rosette which eventually begins to trail. |
| Foliage | Stems are 3-8mm wide, with internodes 1-3cm long, usually covered up by overlapping leaf bases, completely hairless. Leaves are narrow with almost parallel sides, 6-15cm long and 1-2.5cm wide, completely hairless. Upper surfaces are moderate yellow green (146C) to deep greenish yellow (153A), sometimes with darker green stripes down the centre. Undersides are greyish reddish purple (N77C) to greyish purplish red (N77B). |
| Flowers | Small white flowers tucked close to the stem, typical for the species. This cultivar flowers very rarely. |
References
Hansoti, A. A. (2007). Tradescantia spathacea ‘HANSOTI02’ [EU plant breeder’s rights registration 20920]. Community Plant Variety Office. Registration document link.
Hansoti, A. (2010, April 6). Tradescantia plant named ‘SITARA GOLD’ [US plant patent PP20,917 P2]. United States Patent and Trademark Office. Internet Archive link.
Hansoti, A. (2011, July 4). Tradescantia spathacea ‘HANSOTI 02’ [Japan plant breeder’s rights registration 20863]. Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries. Registration document link.
Bustani Plant Farm. (2013). 2013 Catalog. Internet Archive link.
Brickell, C. D., Alexander, C., Cubey, J. J., David, J. C., Hoffman, M. H. A., Leslie, A. C., Malécot, V., Jin, X. (2016). International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants. PDF link.