| Home | > | List of families | > | Acanthaceae | > | Asystasia | > | gangetica |
| Synonyms: |
Asystasia coromandeliana Nees Justicia gangetica L. |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | Common |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
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. |
| Notes: | Subsp. gangetica occurs in tropical Asia and the Pacific. It is a slightly more shrubby herb with larger purple flowers. It is sometimes used as an cultivated ornamental plant in tropical Africa but not known as an escape. |
| Derivation of specific name: | gangetica: of the Ganges River, India; micrantha: small-flowered |
| Habitat: | In a variety of habitats, often in light shade. |
| Altitude range: (metres) | Up to 1550 m |
| Flowering time: | Any time, mostly Nov - Mar |
| Worldwide distribution: | Widespread in tropical Africa, South Africa, Madagascar, Mascarene Islands and tropical Arabia. |
| Zimbabwe distribution: | N,W,C,E,S |
| Growth form: | P |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects (whose larvae eat this species): | Precis oenone oenone (Blue pansy) Precis natalitica natalitica (Brown pansy) Protogoniomorpha parhassus (Common mother-of-pearl) Hypolimnas misippus (Common diadem) Precis hierta cebrene (Yellow pansy) Precis terea elgiva (Soldier pansy) Protogoniomorpha anacardii nebulosa (Clouded mother-of-pearl) |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Content last updated: | Saturday 8 April 2006 |
| Literature: |
Darbyshire, I., Vollesen, K. & Kelbessa, E. (2010). Acanthaceae (Part 2) Flora of Tropical East Africa Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Pages 457 - 460. (Includes a picture). Kelbessa, E. (1994). A Revision of Asystasia gangetica (L.) T. Anders (Acanthaceae) Proceedings of the XIIIth Plenary Meeting AETFAT, Malawi 1 Pages 333 - 346. (Includes a picture). Pickering, H. & Roe, E. (2009). Wild Flowers of the Victoria Falls Area Helen Pickering, London Page 12. (Includes a picture). |
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