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Commelinaceae Family - "Prairie Spiderwort, Long-bracted Spiderwort"
Tradescantia is named in honor of John Tradescant (1608 - 1662) and bracteata, the Latin word for long-bracted.
Reaches 2 to 3 feet tall and prefers sandy or rocky prairies, open rocky oak woodlands; mostly in the Tallgrass biome from western Illinois westward; rarely found east of that. One to two inch purple flowerrs from mid- to late-spring. Shorter species than Tradescantia ohiensis.
Native Americans made a root tea to ease "female" problems and kidney and stomach ailments. The tea also functioned as a laxative and a poultice was made from the entire crushed plant to trat insect bites, stings and skin cancers.
