Red flame (Strobilanthes reptans)

Red flame (Strobilanthes reptans) is a species of plant in the Acanthaceae, perennial shrub, up to 50 cm tall, isophyllous, stems sometimes forming a rosette but usually falling, dark red, branching and forming colonies.

S. reptans has leaves with stalks 0.5-8 cm long, pubescent, glabrous and dark red. The leaves are oval or elliptical or oblong-ovate or suborbicular, 1.5-8 cm long, 1-4 cm wide, the upper surface is dark green and the lower surface is dark red.

A bone in the center with several lateral veins and dark red in color, the base is rounded or heart-shaped, the tip is rounded and the margins are slightly serrated.

Terminal inflorescence, spike-shaped, up to 6-8 cm long. Bracts oblanceolate to elliptical, 8-12 cm long, 2-5 mm wide, persistent and pubescent in veins. Petals 6.5-10 mm and 5 lobes to the base.

Lobes are linear-lanceolate, ciliated and pubescent along the veins and smooth thinning apex. Corolla white or pale purple with darker veins, 1.3-1.5 cm long and glabrous. Basalt cylindrical tube for 4-6 mm. Orbicular lobe, 2-5 mm and glabrous. Stamens 4 items.

Capsule 7-9 mm, apical pubescent, 8-16 seeds, round and 1 mm in diameter. Red flames grow vines and form dense colonies to cover the soil surface or moist vertical structures.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Lamiales
Family: Acanthaceae
Genus: Strobilanthes
Species: Strobilanthes reptans

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Bush sorrel (Hibiscus surattensis)

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