Inch plant

Overview

Tradescantia zebrina is native to Mexico, but has been very widely introduced elsewhere as a garden ornamental. It is now present in Australia, various Pacific islands, the Caribbean, parts of Central and South America, southern USA, Tanzania and east and southeast Asia. It is reported as invasive in many areas in the Pacific. In Queensland, Australia it is reported that it has the capacity to invade natural vegetation across South-east Queensland. Propagation appears to be caused by parts breaking off and washing down slopes or by human facilitation, such as trimming, sweeping or by the dumping of garden rubbish. On Gros Piton, a World Heritage Site in Saint Lucia, West Indies, it was planted at an elevation of about 500 m approximately seven years ago and has since spread several hundred metres along the trail, forming thick carpets on rocks and on the ground in moist shady native forest. In Mexico, Matali, a beverage made of lemon and sweetened decoction of leaves T. zebrina, is used as a cold tonic drink. In some countries T. Zebrina is also used as traditional medicine.

Vernacular Names

Cockroach grass, Purple wandering jew, Silver inch plant, Striped trad, Striped wandering creeper, Striped wandering jew, Wandering zebrina, Zebra plant (English), Barbija, Canutillo, Hoja de milagro (Spanish), Misère, Mizè (French), Diao zhu mei (Chinese).

Agroecology

T. zebrina is a weed of waste areas, disturbed sites, roadsides, urban bushland, riparian vegetation, open woodlands and forests in sub-tropical and warmer temperate regions. As a garden plant, it is commonly found in untended areas or areas that are difficult to access. Prefers bright shade and moist, fertile organic soils, soil pH 6-8.

Morphology

• Stems - creeping and pendulous, succulent, rooting readily at nodes, green with purplish spots, produce transparent watery sap when cut.
• Leaves - hairy and striped iridescent silver-purple above, uniformly purple below, sessile,  measuring about 3 cm long.
• Flowers - inflorescence terminal, of 2 short cincinni subtended closely by 2 leaf-like bracts. Petals ovate, 10-12 mm long, delicate, connate in lower half into a narrow white tube, purple-magenta, pink, 3 petals, seldom observed when plant is grown indoors.
• Fruits - bearing 2-seed capsules.

Cultivation

T. zebrina rarely sets seed and is propagated by cuttings, stolon/runner.

Chemical Constituents

ß-sitosterol, 3ß, 5a, 6ß-trihydroxystigmast and succinic acid, sterols, saponins, flavonoids, tannins,and amino acids.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

Used for treatment of common cold, hypertension, tuberculosis, uterine disorders, high blood pressure, coughs, purify the blood and for amenorrhea, reduce swellings, for hemorrhoids, blood in the stools, conjunctivitis, kidney infections, treating diarrhea, diabetes, urinary tract infections and for flushing the kidney, to flush gravel out of the kidneys and bladder, break the crisis of colitis, and provoke menstruation.