Tradescantia

Tradescantia, a genus of American perennial herbs, differing much in habit, which comprises some thirty-two species, four belonging to the United States, and some tropical. The flowers are loosely or densely panicle, and resemble umbels. T. virginica is often cultivated in gardens, and T. discolor, a white-flowered evergreen, under glass. The genus was named after John Tradescant, gardener to Charles I., who died in 1638.