Details
| Full name | Tradescantia zebrina (Superba Group) ‘Purple Highway’. |
| Name status | Accepted, the valid name for a unique cultivar. Established with a description and photos by Eden Collection B.V. (2019). Because it is a legal protection registration, this name takes precedence over any other (Brickell et al., 2016, Arts. 11.3, 11.4). Also known as:
|
| Origins | Origins described by Eden Collection B.V. (2019). Seedling from a cross between two unnamed Tradescantia zebrina plants, bred in Sappemeer, the Netherlands. Bred, named, and introduced by Eden Collection B.V. |
| Classification | The cultivar is placed in the Superba Group because of its identical foliage. The species Tradescantia zebrina is sometimes labelled with its botanical synonyms Tradescantia pendula, Tradescantia argentea, Zebrina pendula and Cyanotis zebrina. |
| Legal protection | Protected by plant breeder’s rights in the EU and UK (Eden Collection B.V., 2019). Protected by plant breeder’s rights in Australia under the synonym ‘EC-TRADE-1809’ (Eden Collection B.V., 2020). |
| Availability | Mass-produced worldwide, often under the synonym ‘EC-TRADE-1809’. |
Description
Described with reference to the RHS Colour Chart (6th Edition; 2019 reprint).
| Cultivar group | Tradescantia zebrina Superba Group. |
| Growth habit | Stems initially grow upright but soon start to sprawl and trail out of any container. |
| Foliage | Stems are 2-4mm wide, with internodes 2-6cm long. The colour ranges from strong yellow green (144A) to dark purplish grey (N187A). Stems are dotted with lighter green freckles and completely hairless. Leaves are slightly asymmetrical pointed ovals, 4-8cm long and 2.5-4cm wide. There are a few hairs at the top of the sheath, and sometimes scattered over the leaf surfaces. Each half of the leaf has a stripe running its length, closer to the edge of the leaf, and taking up 50-70% of its total width. The base colour of the upper surfaces ranges from greyish olive green (NN137A) to dark greyish purple (202A). The stripes are greyish yellow green (191B), shimmery and metallic. Leaf undersides range from greyish purple (N187B) to dark purplish grey (N187A). Sheaths range from moderate yellow green (147C) to purplish grey (N187C). |
| Flowers | About 15mm across. Petals are light reddish purple (N75A). Stamen filaments are purple, anthers and pistil are white. |
References
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.
Eden Collection B.V. (2019, February 25). Tradescantia zebrina ‘Purple Highway’ [EU plant breeder’s rights registration 51415]. Community Plant Variety Office. Registration document link.
Eden Collection B.V. (2020, July 30). Tradescantia zebrina ‘EC-TRADE-1809’ [Australia plant breeder’s rights application 2020/077]. IP Australia. Registration document link.