Ozark Spiderwort

Tradescantia ozarkana is endemic to the Ozarks.

Herbs, erect or ascending, rarely rooting at nodes. Stems not flexuous, 10--50 cm; internodes glabrous to pilose. Leaves spirally arranged, sessile; blade silvery or gray-green, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate or linear-oblong, 8--28 ´ 1--6 cm (distal leaf blades wider than sheaths when sheaths opened, flattened), base ± rounded to cuneate, apex acuminate, ± glaucous, usually glabrous. Inflorescences all or mostly terminal; bracts foliaceous. Flowers distinctly pedicillate; pedicels 2--3.2 cm, glandular-pilosulose; sepals 6--12 mm, sparsely to densely glandular-pilosulose; petals distinct, white or pale pink to pale lavender, broadly ovate, not clawed, 1.2--1.6 cm; stamens free. Capsules 6--8 mm. Seeds 3--4 mm. 2n = 12, 24.

Flowering spring (Apr--May). Rich woods, mainly on rocky slopes and along cliffs, occasionally in bottomlands; Ark., Mo., Okla.