FoI
South-Indian Tongue-Lip
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South-Indian Tongue-Lip
ative Photo: Pravin Kawale
Common name: South-Indian Tongue-Lip, South Indian Klugia • Konkani: नील Neel • Malayalam: കല്ലു താളി Kallu Thaali, കിളനീലി Kilaneeli • Marathi: नील Neel Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Rhynchoglossum notonianum    Family: Gesneriaceae (Gloxinia family)
Synonyms: Klugia notoniana, Wulfenia notoniana

South-Indian Tongue-Lip is an annual succulent herb, with a creeping habit. The whole plant is more or less hairy. Hairs on the stem are confined to a line on one side. Alternately arranged stalked leaves have margins entire or slightly serrated. Leaf bases are unequally heart-shaped. Flowers are borne in racemes opposite the leaves. The flowers rich, deep blue, all point downwards. Sepal cup is five-cleft, five-angled, the angle more or less winged. Flowers are large, more than an inch long, very unequally 2-lipped. Upper lip is small, 2-toothed, lower one much larger, broad and elliptic, with two cavities near the base. Stamens are 4 in number. Ovary is immersed in a fleshy cup. South-Indian Tongue-Lip is native to South India and Srilanka. Flowering: August-November.

Identification credit: Pravin Kawale Photographed in Maharashtra.

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