Herbs, prostrate, coarsely rhizomatous. Stems unbranched or sparsely branched, to 30 cm. Leaves spirally arranged; blade green, not variegated, broadly ovate to elliptic or lanceolate-elliptic, to 8 ´ 3 cm (distal leaf blades wider or narrower than sheaths when sheaths opened, flattened), succulent, base symmetric, rounded to broadly cuneate, ± glaucous. Inflorescences terminal; bracts similar to leaves. Flowers subsessile; pedicels densely pilose; sepals distinct, glabrous; petals distinct, deep pink to reddish purple, obovate, clawed, claws basally connate forming tube; stamens epipetalous; filaments glabrous; ovary glabrous. Capsules obovoid to subglobose, 4 mm diam., glabrous. 2n = 18 (Mexico).

Flowering summer--fall (Jun--Oct). Rocks or crevices, grassy slopes, or sheltered cliffs on north-facing slopes; Tex.; Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo Leon).

Setcreasea, in which Tradescantia brevifolia, T. buckleyi, T. pallida, and T. leiandra were formerly placed, is synonymous with Tradescantia (D. R. Hunt 1975).