Common name: Ganges Primrose, Chinese violet, Creeping foxglove, लवण वल्ली Lavana valli (Marathi)
Botanical name: Asystasia gangetica Family: Acanthaceae (ruellia family)
Asystasia means inconsistency and relates to the fact that the
corolla is more or less regular which is unusual in the family Acanthaceae.
The word gangetica is derived from the Ganga river in India where
it is presumed the species occurs. The Marathi name Lavana valli
means salt resistant creeper. Ganges primrose is an attractive,
fast-growing, spreading, herbaceous groundcover that
grows from 30 cm to 60 cm in height. The stems root easily at the nodes.
Leaves are simple and dark green. It produces a cream-coloured flower with
tessellated purple markings on the palate (lower petal of the corolla) in
spring and summer. Flowers are produced over a long period and are followed by
capsules with brown seeds. It is semi-hardy, and young plants require
protection in areas of heavy frost. In tropical areas it can grow rampantly.
| Photographed in Maharashtra |
Identification credit: Nandan Kalbag & Dinesh Valke
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