Chinese-Violet

Asystasia gangetica

ass-ah-STAZ-ee-ah gan-JET-ah-cah

Acanthaceae

Native to: Old World Tropics

Florida abundance and distribution:  Mostly South Florida, often on disturbed dryish sites

Recognition: Sprawling or erect rhizomatous perennial having elliptic opposite leaves with smooth margins, and with terminal racemes bearing blue-violet to white or pinkish bilaterally symmetrical tubular flowers.  Exploding capsules fling the seeds,

Other: Butterfly larval host in Africa.  Favored by bees.  Sometimes called “Philippine-Violet,” but this name is more often applied to Barleria cristata.

Contributed by:  June Wilkinson