1. Tradescantia bracteata Small (sticky spiderwort)

Pl. 28 c; Map 107

Stems (5B)20B45 cm long, straight or slightly zigzag, glabrous or minutely hairy above. Blades of the leaves and bracts 15B30 cm long, linear, as broad as or narrower than the sheaths, bright yellowish green, glabrous or nearly so. Flower stalks 10B30(B32) mm long, densely pubescent with a mixture of nonglandular and minutely gland-tipped hairs. Sepals 10B14 mm long, green, herbaceous, densely pubescent with a mixture of nonglandular and minutely gland-tipped hairs, these often somewhat sticky when fresh. Petals 15B20 mm long, bright pink to reddish purple, less commonly blue, lavender purple, or white. 2n=12, 24 (2n=12 in Missouri). MayBJuly.

Scattered in the northern half of the state, mostly north of the Missouri River (Michigan to Montana south to Indiana and Colorado). Mesic upland prairies; also along roads and railroads, as well as in pastures and old fields.

Although no hybrids involving this species have been recorded for Missouri thus far, it is known to hybridize with T. ohiensis in Iowa and elsewhere, and hybrids with T. tharpii have been recorded from Kansas.