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Commelinaceae Family - (Ohio Spiderwort, Blue Jackets, Cow Slobbers, Job's Tears, Widow Tears
Tradescantia is named in honor of John Tradescant (1608 - 1662) and ohiensis, the Latin word meaning "of Ohio".
Slender, erect stems, often with a purple tinge. Flowers are blue to purple, occasionally white and appear in dense clusters at the tops of the stems. Leaves are long and quite like those of an Iris. Found in dry to mesic praires and savannas and along roadsides and railroads. Relatively common to all but the northwest portions of the Tallgrass biome.
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.
