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Tradescantia occidentalis, the prairie spiderwort[3] or western spiderwort, is a plant in the dayflower family, Commelinaceae. It is common and widespread across the western Great Plains of the United States, as well as in Arizona, New Mexico, southern Utah, and Sonora, but is listed as a threatened species in Canada.[4][5][6]
Like in a few other species of Tradescantia, the cells of the stamen hairs of Western spiderwort are normally colored blue, but when exposed to neutron radiation or other forms of ionizing radiation, the cells mutate and change color to pink.[7] Thus the plant can be used as a bioassay for radiation.
Primula pauciflora, the pretty shooting star, few-flowered shooting star, dark throat shooting star or prairie shooting star, is a species of flowering plant in the primula family Primulaceae. It is a widespread and very variable species, native to western North America, from Subarctic America to Mexico,[1][3] often in xeric (extremely dry) and desert habitats. It is found in the Great Basin Deserts and Mojave Desert. Its synonyms include Dodecatheon pauciflorum and Dodecatheon pulchellum.
Bloom Season: March - September
Habitat: hot, open, and sunny areas
Photography Notes: Very participative
Credits: Jason Fazio, 30 May
Image Credit: Jason Fazio
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Western Spiderwort (native) is one of many wildflowers featured in the El Paso CO Wildflower Project, a community-built field guide documenting the wildflowers of El Paso County, Colorado.
