Torenia asiatica - Asiatic Wishbone Flower

Asiatic Wishbone Flower is a creeping to nearly erect herb, rooting from nodes. Flowers are purple-red to blue-red, 1.5-2.5 cm, protruding from the calyx by 0.4-1 cm. This feature easily distinguishes it from Violet Wishbone Flower which only protrudes out little. Anterior stamens appendages linear, 1-2 mm. The common name “Wishbone Flower” comes from the two stamens united at the anthers, forming a structure that resembles a chicken wishbone. Calyx is 0.8-1.5 cm, 1.5-2 cm in fruit, 2-lipped, 5-winged; lips narrowly triangular, tip tapering, further lobed into 5 small lobes; wings more than 1 mm wide, decurrent. Flowers arise in leaf-axils, solitary or in fascicles. Flower-stalks are 0.5-2 cm. Branches are numerous, long, slender. Leaf-stalks are 2-8 mm, leaf blade triangular-ovate, narrowly ovate, or ovate-round, 1.5-3.2 x 1-2 cm, hairless or sparsely hairy, base abruptly constricted and subflat to broadly wedge-shaped, margin rounded toothed and sawtoothed. Capsule 1-1.3 cm. Seeds yellow, about 0.4 mm. Asiatic Wishbone Flower is found in mountain slopes, trailsides, shady places, below 1700 m, in NE India, Nepal, China and parts of SE Asia. Flowering: June-September.