Botanical name: Eranthemum pubescens    Family: Acanthaceae (Acanthus family)

Ratnagiri Eranthemum is a shrub with oblong-ovate blunt leaves, which are nearly entire, with prominent nerves, paler beneath, powdery, carried on leaf-stalks up to 2.5 cm long. Flowers are borne in 7 cm long spikes which are enveloped at base by 4 or 5 ovate pointed, overlapping bracts. Proper bracts are 1.2 cm long, densely hairy; bracteoles 2, linear, sharp-tipped. Flowers are showy, velvet-hairy outside; tube 2.5 cm long, threadlike, opening into a flat-faced flower of 5 nearly equal petals. Sepals are 5, 2 lanceshaped sharp-tipped, 1 broader, 2-nerved, somewhat biparted, 2 smaller. Stamens are 2 with oblong hairy anther, 2 sterile, very short. Style is long, with a half-parted tip. Capsules are oblong-ovoid, 4-seeded. Ratnagiri Eranthemum appears to be confined to southern Konkan.

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The flower labeled Ratnagiri Eranthemum is ...