tradescantia

Any of a group of plants native to North and Central America, with variegated or striped leaves. The spiderwort T. virginiana is a cultivated garden plant; the wandering jew T. albiflora is a common house plant, with green oval leaves tinged with pink, purple or silver-striped. They are named after English botanist John Tradescant the Younger. (Genus Tradescantia, family Commelinaceae.)