About Tradescantia occidentalis (Britton) Smyth
Tradescantia occidentalis, commonly known as prairie spiderwort or western spiderwort, is a species of plant in the dayflower family, Commelinaceae. It is common and widespread across the western Great Plains of the United States, and can also be found in Arizona, New Mexico, southern Utah, and Sonora. However, it is classified as a threatened species in Canada. Similar to a small number of other Tradescantia species, the stamen hair cells of western spiderwort are normally blue. When exposed to neutron radiation or other types of ionizing radiation, the cells mutate and change color to pink. Because of this trait, the plant can be used as a bioassay for radiation.
