Tradescantia zebrina var. tikal

Tradescantia zebrina var. tikal: the rarest and
the most beautiful zebrina, is making it difficult for us.

updated: 10 August 2021

The Tradescantia zebrina var. tikal is a naturally occuring variety near Tikal, Mexico. It resembles somewhat to the mollipila but the leaves are larger, less round, mostly in arrow-shape, with vivid purple stripes on both sides of the leaf.

Is this yet another infraspecific?

Since this is a naturally occurring plant with such distinct pattern, it seems so. It's just that the plants in the genus Tradescantia are proliferating and the botanists can't catch up with their classification. At the time of writing, there are three accepted infraspecifics in the zebrina genus at the POWO website:

• Tradescantia zebrina var. flocculosa (G.Brückn.) D.R.Hunt
• Tradescantia zebrina var. mollipila D.R.Hunt
• Tradescantia zebrina var. zebrina

Therefore, I believe what we have here is a pending classification.

By the way, I have seen this plant written with single (or even double) quotes, but the single quotes are indicating a cultivar, not a naturally occurring variety.

---

This naturally occurring zebrina variety was rescued from its natural habitat in Mexico, but unfortunately it carries a kind of bacterial infection. This infection is a rare case, since it is mostly active during winter but with the warmer summer temperatures the plant seems to be doing fine. This is quite the opposite from what we see in most of the bacterial infections, which are most active during warmer temperatures, just the opposite from what we have here. This infection doesn't seem to be contagious, it's just that during low temperatures the plant loses its colors and it grows slower (mostly green) with a few (the typical zebrina) stripes here and there with a broken pattern. When exposed again to the higher temperatures in summer, it appears to grow normal again. At the moment, everyone that has a Tradescantia zebrina var. tikal in their collection, has the same infected clone. Experienced Commelinaceae collectors have not managed to determine (and reverse) the course of that viral infection. TS (Tissue Culture) might be an option to try and clear this natural variety from that viral - yet harmless - infection. The best solution however - if it is possible - would be to start all over with a freshly new specimen - pathogen free - from another location.

This is how the plant looks in the growing season, seemingly healthy.

.