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| Spiderwort can detect RADIATION; An intensive study full of discovery | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 30 2011, 03:41 PM (4,039 Views) | |
| yass | Mar 30 2011, 03:50 PM Post #16 |
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I noticed a few people were embarrased to blog about Spiderwort because of its name. Tradescantia x 'Snow Cap' Snow Cap Spiderwort  Triangular snow white flowers with fuzzy purple stamens tipped with golden yellow pollen. It is a bright addition to the part shade garden for summer and blooms all season long. Arching blue green foliage stays cleaner if soil is not allowed to dry out too much. A late summer cut back will encourage a second round of flowering. Homeowner Growing & Maintenance Tips for Snow Cap Spiderwort T. andersoniana can be found in the woods and prairies of Maine to Michigan south to Missouri and Georgia . Prefers moist, rich, acidic soils in part shade. Will not spread as aggressively if grown in drier soils. Propagate by seed, cuttings or division. Deadhead to prolong season and cut foliage back after flowering. Best used in the naturalized, wild, rock or woodland garden. Also in moist areas such as along streambanks or ponds. Interesting Notes When the stems of spiderworts are cut, a viscous stem secretion is released which becomes threadlike and silky upon hardening (like a spider's web), hence the common name. Kemper Center for Home Gardening I am not sure why I feel compelled to make excuses for some of the plants I describe, especially those with vaguely unsettling names that I worry might rebuff rather than entice you. I suppose I want you to love them as I do - all their idiosyncracies included - with an eye unbiased by name or reputation. Spiderwort is one of those words that wriggles and resonates from the depths of the unconscious with hints of dark basements and foul witches' brew. However, in reality, nothing about these dayflowers suggests anything sinister, and my best guess is that the name referrs to the delicate weblike filaments that decorate the anthers of each 3-petalled flower like a feather boa in miniature. The lightly fragrant flowers pop out one or two at a time from the folds of a leaflike bract. They open broad and flat in the heat of the day, then wither and curl under to be replaced the next morning by a new batch of blooms. The foliage of spiderworts looks very similar to a daylily's, especially when it is first emerging. (I remember confusing the two on tests in my perennial class in college.) The basal fans elongate in flowering to become leafy stems with alternate foliage arranged like sweet corn and blossoms appearing out of the topmost bract leaves. Bill Cullina http://www.gatewaygardens.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.plantDetail/plant_id/314/index.htm |
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| yass | Mar 30 2011, 03:52 PM Post #17 |
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Tradescantia occidentalis (Spiderwort)
    http://plantsofmagnolia.net/Native_plants/Commelinaceae/Tradescantia/Tradescantia_occidentalis/Tradescantia_occidentalis.htm |
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| yass | Mar 30 2011, 03:53 PM Post #18 |
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Spider What?  Spiderwort is assuredly not the most endearing name for a plant. In contrast to its name it is actually quite a cheery and charming flowering perennial. Right now oodles of them, in massed bunches, can be seen along the roadsides growing wildly in our area.  They are also catching my attention each morning as new blooms unfold brightly in my back garden. My how they've grown since first planted last spring. If anyone had told me a few years ago I'd get the least bit excited about this rugged little plant with the dainty purplish-blue flowers I might have laughed at the thought. After all many do consider it a weed.  But in my quest for native plants the Common Spiderwort, Tradescontia ohiensis seemed to be a good fit for the then newly cultivated wildflower garden. They are pretty wild alright. And cold hardy, too! They prefer a well drained soil in sun or partial shade.  The bees are visiting them first thing in the mornings and enjoying them right now as much as I am. Don't look for the blooms in the afternoon, though. Once the sun comes out full on, they close up until the succession bloom opens the next morning. Easy, non-care, nearly indestructible plants are topping my list of must-haves these days. Spiderwort is being celebrated for those characteristics. Even though, I admit, I DO wish it had a finer name. http://www.hoeandshovel.com/2010/04/spider-what.html Fun comment section. I am extracting one comment with a reference to color... I believe there was a reference in an earlier post saying one of the uses Native Americans used it for it was to dye garments.
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| yass | Mar 30 2011, 03:54 PM Post #19 |
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| yass | Mar 30 2011, 03:54 PM Post #20 |
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Who should monitor radiation in Burke County? Mother Nature may already have it covered. Rob Pavey | Tue, May 4 4:22 PM | 11 comments  In scientific circles, it is widely called tradescantia, its Latin name. We know the plant as spiderwort-found along rural roadsides and shaded streams. It blooms at dawn, unfurling tiny lavender flowers with yellow-tipped stamens. Once struck by sunlight, its blooms shrivel and wait for darkness. Beyond its identity as a garden-worthy wildflower, the spiderwort also provides a service some say is desperately needed in our area. I had all but forgotten about its unusual properties until a reader named Mel called the other day to talk about a story I'd written. The topic was radiation monitoring, and the political concern over whether Savannah River Site should pay for Georgia's program to monitor for radiation leaks in Burke County, just across the Savannah River. The spiderwort, he reminded me, has the uncanny ability to detect even the tiniest levels of radiation. Once exposed, its bluish-purple stamens turn bright pink. It is a genetic mutation that has been studied for decades. In 1949, its properties were explored in an article in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. More recently, scientists at the prestigious Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York's Long Island have documented the spiderwort's ability to detect and measure air pollution and chemical contamination. Brookhaven's publicist, Karen McNulty, told me at least four papers on the topic have been authored there. In Burke County, where nuclear Plant Vogtle faces off with the SRS property line a few hundred yards away, the Energy Department and Georgia seem to have found middle ground in terms of who will monitor radiation, and who will pay for such programs. The newly forged solution includes a pledge by the department to provide funds to enable Georgia's Environmental Protection Division to conduct its own studies, even if they duplicate similar tests at SRS. Georgia officials say it will insure that undetected radiation isn't leaking onto Georgia's soil. Savannah River Site officials say the added scrutiny will simply validate their studies that show there is minimal radiation escaping from the aging nuclear weapons facility. In spite of all those tests, it's still nice to be able to keep an eye on Mother Nature's monitor - the spiderwort. It grows abundantly in Burke and Screven counties, where I've encountered it often during scouting trips before deer season. I've also brought home an occasional sprig, and now have clumps of it near the stone steps in my garden. Early this morning, as I snapped a photo of some of the fragile blooms to use with this blog, my wife asked me what I was doing. I could have told her I was checking for radiation leaks, but she wouldn't have believed me. The stamens on the blooms, by the way, were - correctly - bluish-purple, meaning all is well. http://chronicle.augusta.com/content/blog-post/rob-pavey/2010-05-04/who-should-monitor-radiation-burke-county-mother-nature-may |
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| yass | Mar 30 2011, 03:55 PM Post #21 |
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Spiderwort and Radiation detection ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A cloned species of spiderwort, a roadside wildflower, changes color from blue to pink when exposed to about the same radiation dosage as permitted by federal guidelines. The flower has become popular with the antinuclear movement and is being planted by the thousands near nuclear plants worldwide. Dr. Sadao Ichikawa, of Saitama University in Japan, was the geneticist who discovered the radiation change. ------------------------ upon a search you will come up with these: <http://www.gdr.org/spiderwortdefon.htm>http://www.gdr.org/spiderwortdefon.htm The Spiderwort is a natural radiation detector which may hold a fragment of promise in further research in the deactivation of radiation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Spiderwort detects radiation that conventional instruments don't. There is experimental evidence from an antinuclear group in Japan that a certain species of Spiderwort plant shows effects of radiation exposure when the radiation is not detectable by any instruments. This indicates that biologically sensitive is much greater than currently assumed or else that some types of radiation which are capable of biological effects exist which cannot be detected by electronic means and are not allowed for conventional theory. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Spiderwort flower The stamens of the Spiderwort flower are usually blue or blue-purple. In the presence of radiation, however, the stamens turn pink. Common Spiderwort (Tradescantia bracteata) Found throughout all but the extreme northern counties of North Dakota, common Spiderwort is a striking plant. Elsewhere, the species ranges from Montana to Kansas eastward to Michigan and Indiana. This is an odd-shaped perennial monocot. Monocots, among other characteristics, have woody fibers generally throughout the stem, whereas in a much larger class of plants, the dicots, the fibers are arranged in a ring around the pith. Flowers of common Spiderwort are found in clusters of 5-15 atop stems that have only a few very narrow leaves up to a foot long. Two leaf-like bracts accompany each flower cluster. The light blue to deep lavender flowers are three petalled, and nearly an inch wide. When viewed from above, the whole plant vaguely resembles a large "spider", with the flower cluster forming the "body" and the leaves and bracts forming the "legs." Common Spiderwort likes sandy soils and seems to be most abundant where grazing is light to moderate. Young foliage of some spiderworts is occasionally mentioned as being useful for edible greens and potherbs. This plant is a member of the largely tropical Spiderwort family (Commelinaceae), the name dedicated to a family of seventeenth century Dutch botanists named Commelin. The generic name was dedicated to John Tradescant, gardener to Charles I of England. The specific epithet bracteata means "bracted" in botanical Latin. The plant was described for science in 1898 by botanist and curator of the New York Botanical Garden John Small(1869-1938). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Experiments 1. In health related issues, would the Spiderwort plant be a good candidate for a supplement in radiation related illness or treatment ( example Spirulina)? 2. Further experiments are needed to determine if the effect of radiation is an effect that just shows the effect of radiation, or if it actually absorbs it. This could be crucial to any further consideration to using the Spiderwort plant as more than a means to detect radiation. ----------------------- and this; <http://www.wildportraits.com/spiderwort.htm>http://www.wildportraits.com/spider\ wort.htm ...Scientists are interested in these plants for several reasons. First, they are highly sensitive to radiation- picking it up at lower levels than scientific instruments. Within a couple weeks of being exposed to radiation, the flowers mutate, and turn from violet blue to a bright pink. This gives a new meaning to the expression "in the pink"- maybe it isn't so healthy after all, at least if you're a spiderwort. It also responds in this way to other pollutants, like pesticides or carbon monoxide. Therefore, it is actually commercially grown to plant at monitoring sites. Another interesting feature of the plant is that a thin sticky thread can be pulled out of the plant stems, and it dries and hardens very quickly when exposed to air. Additionally, its large chromosome structure is ideal for certain types of research. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/polymva/message/598 |
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| yass | Mar 30 2011, 03:56 PM Post #22 |
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VIRGINIA SPIDERWORT Tradescantia virginiana L.  Alternate Names Common spiderwort, dayflower, flower-of-a-day, Job’s tears, snake-grass, spider-lily, trinity, trinity-lily, widow’s-tears Uses Ethnobotanic: The Cherokee and other Native American tribes used Virginia spiderwort for various food and medicinal purposes. The young leaves were eaten as salad greens or were mixed with other greens and then either fried or boiled until tender. The plant was mashed and rubbed onto insect bites to relieve pain and itching. A paste, made from the mashed roots, was used as a poultice to treat cancer. A tea made from the plant was used as a laxative and to treat stomachaches associated with overeating. Virginia spiderwort was one of the seven ingredients in a tea used to treat “female ailments or rupture.” It was also combined with several other ingredients in a medicine for kidney trouble. http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_trvi.pdf |
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| yass | Mar 30 2011, 03:57 PM Post #23 |
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Question of toxicity for reptiles I used to have some bonsai I was working on, as well as some pots of pothos and wandering jew. Well, despite the fact that the wandering Jew (Zebrina spp. or Tradescantia zebrina) was a plant my iguanas could safely eat*, did they try to eat it? Of course not. They went for the pothos and the bonsais The pothos were also safe to eat in small quantities, but not the species I was bonsai'ing. I finally realized that it was best if I didn't keep any plants in any room that was not closed off to the iguanas. Since they have the run of the house, that means no plants. Even closing a room off isn't a guarantee. Family and guests sometimes forget to close doors, and I know at least one person whose iguana managed to get, unnoticed, into a "closed" room and ingest part of a poinsettia before being discovered. *It should be noted that some Tradescantia sp. appear on toxic lists, others on edible lists. In the UC Davis toxic list, which lists common name Wandering Jew for Tradescantia sp., they have the notation that this plant may cause dermatitis from coming into contact with it. The Plants for a Future Database, which lists many plants useful for food, fiber, shelter, and medicinal uses, lists only one of the Tradescantia species with edible leaves and flowers, the Tradescantia virginiana (Virginia spiderwort), which has several other synonyms for its scientific name (T. virginica, T. virginica, Ephemerum congestum, T. brevicaulis, T. congesta; T. rupestris, T. speciosa, T. virginiana var. alba, T. virginiana var. barbata). What this means is that you should check several sources and then make the best decision you can as to whether you will put the plant in an area accessible to your reptiles (or human children). It also points out why writing me in frustration asking me for a definitive answer because you can't find a definitive answer to a plant that isn't as outright toxic as oleander or azalea won't accomplish anything but frustrate us both. So, when in doubt, leave it out. http://www.anapsid.org/resources/plants.html |
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| yass | Mar 30 2011, 03:57 PM Post #24 |
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When epona had mentioned kelp, it took me to my book The Miracle of GARLIC & VINEGAR, thinking that might be where I'd read a reference to iodine and radiation. I got stuck on a section about Potassium however and was so excited about it after reading I typed out the excerpt and felt it was important for all of us under any circumstances, that we needed it for optimal health. Little did I realize at the time how very important it was, and how integrated it is with iodine... one only has to think about the name of the tablets that are so sought after at this time... 'Potassium Iodide'. I'd abruptly posted the excerpt in this spot where I was preparing the post, and then the next reference I'd read containing Spiderwort was about the Black Walnut, which allegedly, the hulls are high in natural organic iodine. I began searching for more information about the black walnut then and information about the Spiderwort was pretty much over and exhausted. I think I'll post the Black Walnut information in its own thread. I was fretting over which variety of Tradescantia was the variety that changed colors because I'd read references to it being a certain variety and when I'd done a search for seeds and plants, a seed page I landed had no varieties of Virginiana and I thought it was strange. It seems that Virginiana is rather rare on the market, though I did find some plants, roots, and seeds. I also found they are not necessarily the variety I am looking for after finding and having read the following article. |
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| yass | Mar 30 2011, 03:58 PM Post #25 |
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How can a person get this lucky? God is how. Arigato! In situ Monitoring with Tradescantia around Nuclear Power Plants Sadao Ichikawa Environmental Health Perspectives Vol. 37, (Jan., 1981), pp. 145-164 (article consists of 20 pages) Published by: Brogan & Partners Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3429264  Environmental Health Perspectives © 1981 The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Abstract Highly sensitive mutational responses of the stamen-hair system of some Tradescantia clones heterozygous for flower color (blue/pink, the blue being dominant) to low-level radiation and chemical mutagens, as demonstrated in the last decade, seem to endorse this system to be the most promising biological tester for detecting the genetic effects of mutagens at low levels. Two triploid (thus sterile) clones, KU 7 and KU 9, have been established as those suitable for in situ monitoring of environmental mutagens. in situ monitoring with such Tradescantia clones was first tried in 1974 around a nuclear power plant in Japan, then has been repeated until 1979 around more nuclear plants. About 260,000 to 1,570,000 stamen hairs were observed per year per nuclear plant (about 12-million hairs in total), and the data of pink mutation frequency were analyzed statistically. Significantly increased mutation frequencies were observed and were correlated to the operation periods of the nuclear facilities and to predominant wind direction, but not to other environmental factors. Considering physical monitoring data of radiation dose in the air, internal exposure due to incorporation and concentration of man-made radioactive nuclides seemed to be of a greater importance in increasing mutation incidence. http://www.jstor.org/pss/3429264 |
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| yass | Mar 30 2011, 03:59 PM Post #26 |
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So, they made clones of plants that were blue/pink Heterozygous plants with the blue being the dominant gene (aka Allele), now, where would I find that? It didn't take long, actually... I was looking at Spider plant info at one of the garden clubs I belong to and on a page about the occidentalis variety someone from Louisiana pitched in this comment:
I messaged him promptly and said I would like to buy or make a trade with him for some of those Spiderworts that were once 'pink'. I haven't heard anything from him though. |
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| yass | Mar 30 2011, 04:00 PM Post #27 |
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I'd like to further comment that the gardener in Louisiana from the above comment was probably referring to the Spiderwort plant in general, and not necessarily the occidentalis variety that was the featured plant on the page. From the above scientific study, we learned that some plants were 'cloned'. To my knowledge, cloning a plant is merely taking a cutting from a plant and dipping it in a rooting hormone and rooting it. There is a very natural rooting hormone that can be used for rooting, which is Willow stems. I realize I'd posted about it elsewhere but not here, so I will get it posted here directly. One plant can make many if you take this approach and are lucky enough to acquire one plant. I think Spiderworts are lovely. I should add because for some odd reason I don't think I got it posted that at the sites I ran across that give 'magic' information relating to plants, all but one said the Spiderwort means "Love". The odd one said that it means "Esteem, not love". There was also one odd page I landed that said something along the lines that the Spiderwort as an indoor houseplant brings misfortune to the household or family or something. I didn't save it, however, because I thought it was nonsense. I suppose in a relative way it could be in that if you have one indoors and it changes color it means there's either radiation or severe pollution inside your home which is toxic and dangerous, but on the flip side if you're armed with knowledge you will know that it is a heads-up warning that your environment is not healthy and to take measures by doing or going somewhere else. With all this radiation mess going on I'd like to post a poem Dee Finney, webmaster of Great Dreams & Visions, posted yesterday at a group. I think it is her dream but I notice she says something about the dream in video form at the link at the end. Maybe I'll join at the site and check into it. The woman I see in the front screen video on the page is not Dee but maybe Dee is in some of the videos telling her dreams... I think that's it.
However that works. I liked the reference to love. |
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| yass | Mar 30 2011, 04:01 PM Post #28 |
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Now, I guess at the beginning of this thread I made the comment that "people have gone crazy, nuts, out of their minds, with fear. Just in days, I've seen people become irrational" and that I'd explain it. Well, at eBay. Check it out, this auction yesterday for 14 Potassium Iodide tablets. I'll include the description and the winning bid info:
There were more just like it. The closer it got to the end the higher the bids went. continued, next post |
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| yass | Mar 30 2011, 04:02 PM Post #29 |
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Here is another listing I found of the exact same product, same brand, same dosage, same amount of tablets, only these were on 'back order', and at a very different 'buy it now' price. When I checked again early this morning the listing had been pulled.
edit - I accidentally posted the link to the listing in the post above this post, then when I went to find the right link, it found it in history, that went to this listing, the one I said that it had been removed or taken out, then I searched using the topic title of the listing and found the exact listing I'd seen before, the one described in this post... only with a new URL and minus the exclamation mark at the end. Potassium Iodide 130mg 14 Radioactive Nuclear Disaster http://cgi.ebay.com/Potassium-Iodide-130mg-14-Radioactive-Nuclear-Disaster-/150579001623?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item230f353917 I went to see sellers other items. Apparently he has quite the few listings of this product... for $10.50... the same product sold for $281 in the listing in the post above ($20 a pill that you only take if and when it's time to take or not at all unless you want to get sick and have your thyroid messed up from Iodine poisoning).  |
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| yass | Mar 30 2011, 04:03 PM Post #30 |
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Another listing for potassium Iodate tablets and the winning bid results. Plenty of those, too (Buy It Now for $250.00 option)
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