Boat lily
Tradescantia spathacea
Also known as Rheo, Oyster plant, Moses-in-the-Boat
About Boat lily
Tradescantia spathacea, also called the oyster plant, boatlily or 'Moses-in-the-cradle', is an herb in the Commelinaceae family which was first described in 1788. It is native to Central America. The plant's common name "Moses in the Cradle" is due to its small, white flowers within a boat-shaped, purple bract that resembles a cradle, which is a visual resemblance to the biblical story of Moses in the bulrushes, where he was placed in a basket.
Description adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Tradescantia spathacea
- Genus
- Tradescantia
- Family
- COMMELINACEAE
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Grown as garden plant
- Distribution
- South East Mexico to Guatemala, widely introduced elsewere
- Flowering & fruiting
- September-April
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Commelinaceae
Spiderwort Family
Boat lily belongs to the Commelinaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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