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Details
| Full name | Tradescantia (Continental Group) ‘Unicorn’. |
| Name status | Accepted, the valid name for a unique cultivar. Listed online with photos by Ania (2021). Established by Rowe (2025). |
| Origins | Unknown. |
| Classification | Often labelled as Tradescantia albiflora, which is now considered a botanical synonym for Tradescantia fluminensis (POWO, 2022). It does not fully match that species, but appears to be an unknown hybrid from the subgenus Austrotradescantia. Like other variegated Austrotradescantia cultivars, it is now placed in the Continental Group. |
| Legal protection | None. |
| Availability | Circulates among collectors worldwide. |
Description
Described with reference to the RHS Colour Chart (6th Edition; 2019 reprint).
| Cultivar group | Tradescantia Continental Group. |
| Growth habit | Upright to sprawling, very densely branched. |
| Foliage | Stems are 2.5-4mm thick, with internodes 0.5-2.5cm long, moderate olive green (146A). Leaves are spirally or sometimes alternately arranged along the stem. Leaves are ovals 5-8cm long and 2-3cm wide, with a short stalk (petiole). The upper surfaces are greyish olive green (NN137A) to greyish yellow green (191A), with marginal variegation from very light purple (76B) to pale yellow (160D) to moderate yellowish pink (N170D). The undersides are greyish purple (N187B) under dark areas, and light purple (76A) to dark purplish pink (186C) under light areas. Leaf sheaths are purplish grey (N187C) with slightly darker veins. The upper and lower leaf surfaces are hairless. The leaf margins are hairless except for a few long hairs at the top of the sheath. |
| Flowers | 8-12mm across. Petals, stamens, and pistil are white, anthers are yellow. |
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.
Ania. (2021). Albiflora Unicorn. Olx. Archive Today link.
POWO. (2022). Tradescantia albiflora. Plants of the World Online. Link.
Rowe, A. (2025). Compiling the first Tradescantia cultivar checklist. HortScience, 60(9); 1534-1542. Open access link.