Ruellia tuberosa L.
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Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.
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Family
Acanthaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - to 50 cm tall, many-branched from a short woody base; roots thick, elongate, fusiform; stems quadrangular, sulcate, and covered with white, curly hairs when young, cylindrical and glabrescent at base. Leaves usually clustered at nodes; blades 4-9 x 2-3.7 cm, elliptic, oblong, ovate, or obovate, chartaceous, pubescent on both surfaces, especially on veins, the apex obtuse or rounded, usually retuse or shortly apiculate, the base long attenuate, the margins crenate and ciliate. Rowers produced on long or short axillary simple dichasia; bracts and bracteoles strapshaped and ciliate at margins. Calyx of 5 lanceolate-linear, green, ciliate, deeply cleft sepals 0.7-1.5 cm long; corolla lilac, mauve to purplish blue (rarely white), 3-4.5 cm long, minutely pubescent externally, the lobes rounded and spreading. Capsule 1.2-2.2 cm long, nearly cylindrical or narrowly ellipsoid, glabrous, turning from green to brown. Seeds ca. 2 mm long, light brown, 20-32(-52) per capsule.
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Distribution
In open disturbed areas such as roadsides. Annaberg (A2923), Denis Bay (M16590), Lameshur (A2756). Also on St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda; widely distributed throughout tropical and subtropical America.
Virgin Gorda Virgin Islands South America| Tortola Virgin Islands South America| Saint Thomas Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Saint Croix Virgin Islands of the United States South America|