| Western spiderwort | |
|---|---|
| T. occidentalis at Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield State Park | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | Commelinids |
| Order: | Commelinales |
| Family: | Commelinaceae |
| Genus: | Tradescantia |
| Species: | T. occidentalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Tradescantia occidentalis (Britton) Smyth |
|
| Varieties | |
|
T. occidentalis var. melanthera |
|
Tradescantia occidentalis (Western spiderwort or prairie spiderwort) is a plant in the dayflower family, Commelinaceae. It is listed as a threatened species in Canada[2].
Like in a few other species of Tradescantia, the cells of the stamen hairs of Western spiderwort are normally colored blue, but when exposed neutron radiation or other forms of ionizing radiation, the cells mutate and change color to pink[3]. Thus the plant can be used as a bioassay for radiation.