Tradescantia spathacea

Native from southern Mexico through Central America, it is a rosette-forming perennial herb with stiff sword-shaped leaves. The upper leaf surfaces are green while the undersides are deep purple. Small white three-petaled flowers develop inside paired purple boat-shaped bracts nestled among the leaf bases near the center of each rosette. It can flower throughout the year in warm conditions. Its sap can cause skin and eye irritation, and eating large quantities can cause mouth irritation and digestive upset. Photographed in Colombia.