 From there the type species, "Tradescantia virginiana", was brought to England in 1629.The genus "Tradescantia" has received many common names, varying by region and country.Some of these names refer to the plants' great dispersal ability or invasiveness, such as "Wandering Jew"; the latter, which "Tradescantia" species share with plants of several other genera, refers to a Christian myth of the Wandering Jew, condemned to wander the earth for taunting Jesus on the way to his crucifixion.