Asystasia gangetica
Summary 5
Asystasia gangetica is a species of plant in the Acanthaceae family. It is commonly known as the Chinese Violet, Coromandel or Creeping Foxglove. In South Africa this plant may simply be called Asystasia.
Description 6
Erect or scrambling perennial, up to c. 1 m. Leaves opposite, ovate, occasionally finely hairy; margin entire. Flowers in a terminal, often one-sided raceme, white to pale mauve-blue with purple markings in the lower lip.
Diagnostic description 7
Asystasia gangetica (L.) T. Anderson in Thwaites, Enum. Pl. Zeyl. 235. 1860.
Basionym: Justicia gangetica L.
Decumbent herb, creeping or clambering, 1-3 m in length. Stems quadrangular. Leaves 2.5-11 × 2.5-6.5(8) cm, ovate to lanceolate, chartaceous, pubescent on both surfaces, especially on the veins, the apex acuminate, the base obtuse, truncate, rounded, or cordiform, the margins crenulate; petioles 0.5-3(4.5) cm long. Flowers arranged in terminal spikes on axillary branches; bracts and bracteoles ovate, ciliate. Calyx green, 5-7 mm long, the sepals lanceolate; corolla light yellow or pale violet, 2.3-5 cm long, with glandular hairs on the outer surface; stamens and pistil inserted on the floral tube. Capsules 2-2.5 cm long, claviform, light brown when ripe, densely covered with glandular hairs; seeds light brown, with irregular margins.
Phenology: Collected in flower and fruit throughout the year.
Status: Exotic, ornamental, naturalized in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, quite common.
Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 3083; 7001; 7082.
Sources and Credits
- (c) John Tann, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://www.flickr.com/photos/31031835@N08/5730939651/
- (c) Sunnetchan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by Sunnetchan
- (c) Yvette Mersia Manoe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Yvette Mersia Manoe
- (c) portioid, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by portioid
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asystasia_gangetica
- (c) Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten and Petra Ballings, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/30288459
- (c) Pedro Acevedo-Rodríguez, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/28435057
More Info
- iNat taxon page
- African Plants - a photo guide
- Atlas of Living Australia
- Biodiversity Heritage Library
- BOLD Systems BIN search
- Catalogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia
- eFloras.org
- Flora Digital de Portugal
- Flora of North America (beta)
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
- HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
- IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
- NatureServe Explorer 2.0
- SEINet Symbiota portals
- Tropicos
- USDA PLANTS database
- World Flora Online
- 日本のレッドデータ検索システム
- 植物和名−学名インデックス YList
