‘Variegata’

Details

(Understanding this section)

Full name	Tradescantia fluminensis ‘Variegata’.
Name status	Accepted, the valid name for a unique cultivar. Established by Jacob-Makoy (1867, p. 6). Because it was published before 1959, the Latin name can be accepted (Brickell et al., 2016, Art 21.11). Also known as: ‘Vittata’, an established synonym. ‘Albovittata’, an established synonym. ‘Aurea’, an established synonym. ‘Aureo-picta’, an established synonym. ‘Aureo-striata’, an established synonym. ‘Striata’, an established synonym. ‘Karen’, an established synonym. ‘Aureo-vittata’, an established synonym. ‘Vittata Alba’, an established name which may refer to this or another cultivar. ‘Alba Lineata’, an established name which may refer to this or another cultivar. ‘Albo Striata’, an established name which may refer to this or another cultivar. ‘Aureo Vittata’, an invalid name. ‘White Stripe’, an invalid name. Many of the names for this plant have been reused within the genus. ‘Variegata’ is the oldest and the least ambiguous of the widely-used established names, so it is now accepted for this cultivar. Not to be confused with: Tradescantia cerinthoides ‘Variegata’, the accepted name for a different cultivar. Tradescantia zebrina ‘Variegata’, an established name of questionable status. Tradescantia spathacea ‘Varieagata’, an established synonym for another cultivar. Tradescantia ‘Variegata’ [1967], the name has been invalidly reused many times for other cultivars.
Origins	Unknown.
Classification	The species Tradescantia fluminensis has sometimes been labelled with its botanical synonym Tradescantia albiflora, and with the invalid horticultural names Tradescantia viridis, Tradescantia repens, and Tradescantia reptans.
Legal protection	None.
Availability	Available from many nurseries.

Description

Preserved as a herbarium specimen (“Tradescantia fluminensis ‘Variegata'”, 2022).

Described with reference to the RHS Colour Chart (6th Edition: 2019 reprint).

Species	Tradescantia fluminensis.
Growth habit	Low-growing, creeping stems which will spread out of any container and trail downwards.
Foliage	Stems are 2-4mm wide, with internodes 2-7cm long, smooth except for one line of tiny hairs running along the length. New growth stems are strong yellow green (143C), aging to moderate olive green (147A) and sometimes greyish purplish red (N77B). Leaves are pointed ovals, 4-6cm long and 2-3cm wide, smooth except for a few hairs at the top of the sheath. The base colour is moderate olive green (137A) above and greyish yellow green (NN137D) underneath. They are randomly striped with bold pale sections, which can cover anything from 0%-100% of the leaf surface. Pale areas range from strong yellow green (144C) on new growth to pale yellow (160D) on old mature leaves. Leaf sheaths are strong yellow green (143C). In lower light, the stems become longer and thinner and the leaves smaller. In intense light, the leaf undersides often become flushed with pale purplish pink (56A)
Flowers	Small white flowers, typical for the species. Not very common when grown indoors.
Comparisons	Compared to Tradescantia fluminensis ‘Yellow Hill’, this cultivar has more sharply-contrasting stripes, slower growth, and is more likely to develop pink pigments.

References

Jacob-Makoy, L. (1867). Plantes Nouvelles et Rares de Serres et de Plein Air [New and rare greenhouse and outdoor plants]. 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.

Tradescantia fluminensis ‘Variegata’. (2022). [Herbarium specimen, barcode WSY0168487]. RHS Wisley Herbarium.