Nomenclature of Tahitian Bridal Veil

directly in the hanging basket. Envi- Tahitian bridal veil as Tradescantia Nomenclature of ronmental requirements are moder- multiflora Swartz, a name similar to a Tahitian Bridal ate; the plant requires medium light grower’s name of Tradescantia multi- intensity and temperatures of 13 to folia. These two epithets contain the Veil 21C (John Henry Company, 1977). basic Latin roots -folius and -florus, Growth is rapid and the creeping form translated by Stearn (1992) as leaved produces a pendulous mound, which and flower, respectively. These two Paul R. Fantz and is ideal for a hanging basket. The deep Latin root words also appear in other green upper surface and purple under- epithets (e.g., grandifolia and grandi- Paul Nelson sides of leaves blend nicely with many, flora, parvifolia, and parviflora). These small, brilliant white flowers to give epithet pairs are similar in length, spell- this plant exceptional sales appeal. ing, and appearance. Thus, each mem- Additional index words. floriculture, An inquiry by growers was made ber of the pair is confused commonly nomenclature, taxonomy, to faculty members at North Carolina with the other member by students in Commelinaceae, Gibasis, Tripogandra, State Univ. regarding the correct sci- plant material courses and members of Tradescantia entific name for Tahitian bridal veil. the landscape, nursery, and floricul- These growers indicated that the name tural industries. Summary. Tahitian bridal veil may be Tradescantia multifolia, but Hortus Third lacked the name traditionally has been assigned the they couldn’t find this name in a refer- Tradescantia multifolia, but cited the scientific name of Tradescentia ence. Problems encountered by us in name Tradescantia multiflora as a syn- multiflora (or Tradescentia multifoila in the floricultural industry. Hortus searching the literature for a correct onym of Tripogandra multiflora Third lacks the name Tahitian bridal scientific name led to a morphological (Swartz) Raf. Everett (1982), and veil. Other references also lack this examination of Tahitian bridal veil to Huxley (1992) listed Tripogandra vernacular name or assign this plant ascertain the correct genus to which it multiflora with a brief description that either to Tripogandra or Gibasis as G. should be assigned. could fit bridal veil. However, neither geniculata or G. pellucida. Thus, the vernacular name Tahitian bridal modern literature references suggest Taxonomic literature veil nor Tradescantia multiflora was three potential scientific names. Plants The name Tahitian bridal veil is cited under either Tripogandra Raf. or of Tahitian bridal veil were examined lacking in Hortus Third (Liberty Hyde Tradescantia L. Graf (1978, 1982) morphologically. A description was Bailey Hortorium, 1976) and other cited Tradescantia multiflora as a syn- prepared and compared to literature descriptions of the taxa involved. references that include floricultural onym of Gibasis geniculata (Jacq.) Results indicated that Tahitian bridal crops (Bailey, 1917, 1949; Graf, 1978, Rohw. Hortus Third reported G. veil was misidentified at least twice by 1982; Hessayon, 1991; Larson, 1992; geniculata as sometimes cultivated as a earlier authors and that the correct Perry, 1974). Rathmell (1980) stated laboratory plant, but not offered in the name for Tahitian bridal veil is G. that Tahitian bridal veil was Trades- trade. pellucida. cantia multiflora (no authority given). Everett (198 1) reported Tahitian John Henry Company (1977) cited bridal veil as a selected form of G.

n 1993, 43 million foliage and flowering hanging bas- I kets were grown in the United States and marketed as floricultural crops at the wholesale level for $203 million (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 1994). One of these crops used exten- sively as a hanging basket plant in the United States, Canada, and Europe is Tahitian bridal veil or bridal veil (Fig. 1). Several factors contribute to its popularity. Tahitian bridal veil is propa- gated easily from terminal and sec- tional stem cuttings that are rooted

Professors, Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Box 7609, Raleigh, NC 27695- 7609. Research Project NC0 6104 funded in part by the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, NC 27695-7643, Use of nursery and trade names in this publications does not imply endorsment by the NCARS of the nurseries or the products mentioned nor criticism of similar ones not mentioned. The cost of publishing this paper was defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. Under postal regulations, this paper therefore must be hereby marked advertisement solely to indicate this fact. Fig. 1. Habit of Tahitian bridal veil as a hanging basket floricultural crop.

144 Table 1. Morphological comparison of three gemra of Commelinaceae. bracts 2, membranous, narrow concave- lanceolate around peduncle, acute, seri- Character Tripogandra Tradescantia Gibasis ceous, 1.8–2.5 mm long, ca 0.3–0.6 mm Inflorescence wide. Peduncles green, 12–17 mm long. Stipe Lacking Lacking Present Bracts inconspicuous, imbricate, ovate, Cincinni Fused Fused Free membranous, acute, to 1 mm long, ca Bracts Inconspicuous Conspicuous Inconspicuous 0.7–0.8 mm wide. Pedicels in flower Flowers purple to blackish-purple, 7–14 mm long. Symmetry Zygomorphic Actinomorphic Actinomorphic Bracteoles 2, ovate, translucent, to 1 Stamens mm long. FLOWERS with only one Length Long and short Subequal Subequal open per cincinni. Sepals 3, green, ellip- Filament Three curved Straight Straight tic-navicular, weakly keeled, acute, 2– Trichomes Bearded or glabrous Bearded Bearded 2.2 mm long, 1 mm wide. Petals 3, Connective Narrow Broad Triangular white, ovate-orbicular, broadly obtuse, 3.64 mm long, 3.54 mm wide at base. Stamens 6, subequal, white, bearded geniculata and cited Tradescantia trichomes and one conspicuous row of basally and near apex; filaments 2.5-2.8 geniculata Jacq. and Aneilema genic- erect trichomes (ca 0.1–0.2 mm) from mm long; anthers versatile, yellow, con- ulatum (Jacq.) Woodson in synonymy, node to node on the opposite side from nective deltoidal; trichomes dense, but he did not use the name Trades- the leaf blade above. LEAVES asym- spreading in a rosette pattern, monili- cantia multiflora. Also cited was a metrical, nearly distichate on twig, form, basal set 1.5–2 mm long, apical set close relationship of G. geniculata with subsessile on the sheath, 1–5 cm long, ca 0.5–0.8 mm below anthers, to 1 mm G. oaxacana D.R. Hunt. Huxley 0.3–1.6 (3) cm wide, blade ovate to long. Pistil white; ovary 3-locular, ca (1992) associated the name bridal veil narrowly oblong to ovate–lanceolate to 0.6–0.8 mm long; style slightly exerted with G. pellucida (Martens & Gal.) D. lanceolate, entire, acute to short acumi- beyond stamens, 3 mm long; stigma Hunt. and noted that, under the entry nate, obliquely cordate, glabrate, dark capitellate. Fruits not observed. G. geniculata, it is often confused with green above, green to reddish-purple G. pellucida in cultivation. Everett below, lateral veins 2-4/side; sheath Taxonomic identification (1981 ) described G. geniculata with closed, striate, 24 mm long, sericeous- The first step in identification was hairless leaves, whereas Huxley ( 1992) ciliate on upper edge (trichomes 34 to determine the genus to which Tahi- described G. geniculata as bearing vil- mm), ascending-spreading sericeous (tri- tian bridal veil should be assigned. lous leaves. chomes 14 mm) on the surface. IN- There were three possible genera: Hunt (1986) associated bridal veil FLORESCENCES borne from upper Tripogandra, Tradescantia, and with G. pellucida but did not cite Tra- axils and seemingly terminal, stipitate. Gibasis. Characters used for segregat- descantia multiflora in synonymy, nor Cincinni free, binate above stipe. Stipe ing the genera are compared in Table is Tradescantia multiflora cited in syn- green, 12–24 mm long. Peduncular 1. Tahitian bridal veil is not a onymy with G. geniculata. Although Tahitian bridal veil is a well-known plant in the floricultural trade, its correct scientific name is not clear. Literature references suggest the following choices: 1) Tripogandra mul- tiflora, 2) G. geniculata, or 3) G. pellu- cida or G. oxacana. Which name should horticulturists accept? Taxonomic evidence Plants of Tahitian bridal veil (Fig. 1) obtained from commercial sources were grown under greenhouse condi- tions at North Carolina State Univ., examined, and described morphologi- cally from first-hand observation. The description presented below was the taxonomic evidence we used for com- parison with literature descriptions to determine the correct identification of Tahitian bridal veil.

“Tahitian bridal veil.” Stems creeping to decumbent, branching and rooting at the nodes; twigs slender, terete, to 1 mm diam., glabrate with scattered minute Fig. 2. Axillary inflorescence of Tahitian bridal veil with its paired, stalked, free cincinni.

145 Fig. 3. Stamens of a flower of Tahitian bridal veil bearded basally and apically.

Tripogandra (Greek tri-, three; pogon, Gibasis oaxacana is distinguished eas- culture. vol. 10. Garland. New York. p. 3376- beard; andros, male). Members of this ily by bearing three to eight cincinni in 3379,3407. genus differ from Tahitian bridal veil an umbel and petiolate leaves spirally Graj A.B. 1978. Tropics. Roehrs Co., East by possessing zygomorphic flowers; arranged. Gibasis geniculata is distin- Rutherford, N.J. sessile, fused cincinni; a narrow anther guished easily by having paired cincinni; Graj A.B. 1982. Exotica. Roehrs Co., East connective; and unequal stamens, with sessile, densely villous leaves that are Rutherford, N.J. the inner whorl of three stamens bear- distichate [2-ranked]; glandular-pu- Hessayon, D. G. 1991. The new house plant ing a longer filament that curves to be bescent stipes; and filaments bearded expert. Jarrold & Sons, Norwich, U.K erect in front of the upper petal. Tahi- only at the base. Gibasis pellucida is Hunt, D.R. 1986. A revision of Gibasis Rafin. tian bridal veil is not a Tradescantia distinguished easily by paired cincinni, Amer. Commelinaceae XII. KewBul. 41(1):107- 129. (named in honor of John Tradescant, sessile glabrate leaves that are distichate, a British naturalist). Members of this eglandular stipes, and filaments Huxley, A. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening. Morton Word genus differ by possessing sessile, fused bearded basally and above (Fig. 3). Processing Ltd., Scarborough, U.K. p. 410; cincinni and paired, conspicuous, en- Tahitian bridal veil keys out easily to G. 494-495,513. larged leaf- or boat-like bracts sub- pellucida, and our description, based JohnHenry Company. 1977. John Henry’s guide tending the inflorescence. Gibasis on first-hand observations, agrees with to green plants. John Henry Co., Lansing, Mich. (Latin gibbus, swollen; Greek basis, Hunt’s description of this species. Thus, Larson, R.A. (ed.). 1992. Introduction to flori- base; reference to gibbous base of se- we agree with Huxley (1992) from our culture. 2nd ed. Academic Press, San Diego. pals) is distinguished by the free cincinni taxonomic investigation that the cor- Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus subtended by a pair of bracts and borne rect name for Tahitian bridal veil is G. third. Macmillan, New York. on a prominent stipe (Fig. 2) and the pellucida (Martens& Gal.) D. Hunt. Perry, F. (cd.). 1974. Simon & Schuster’s com- broad triangular anther connective. plete guide to plants and flowers. Simon & Tahitian bridal veil has all of these Literature Cited Schuster, New York. characteristics; thus it is a Gibasis. Bailey, L.H. 1917. The standard cyclopedia of Rathmell, J.K., Jr. 1980. Hanging baskets, p. The second step in identification horticulture. Macmillan, New York. 525–553. In: RA. Larson (cd.). Introduction to floriculture. Academic Press, New York. was to identify the correct species of Bailey, L.H. 1949. Manual of cultivated plants. Tahitian bridal veil within the genus. Macmillan, New York. Steam, W.T. 1992. Botanical Latin. 4th ed. Hunt (1986) provided a revision of Everett, T.H. (cd.). 1981. The New York Bo- Redwood Press Ltd., Devon, U.K. Gibasis that included a key to species. tanical Garden illustrated encyclopedia of hort- U.S. Department of Agriculture. 1994. Floricul- Most species have flowers purple to culture. vol. 3. Garland, New York. ture crops 1993 summary. U.S. Dept. of Agr., violet-blue to pink, not white. There Everett, T.H. (cd.). 1982. The New York Bo- Natl. Agr. Stat. Ser., Agr. Stat. Board. Wash., are three white-flowering species. tanical Garden illustrated encyclopedia of horti- D.C. Sp. Cr. 6-1(94).

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