Justicia adhatodoides glossy leaves

Leaf gloss on Justicia adhatodoides isn’t always as bright as here during the (January) summer rainy season. Lateral leaf veins curve in, almost paired, unevenly spaced. Some leaf margins are wavy.

The appealing feature of the flower, the lateral, pink-purple lines on the central lower lip of the white or mauve and minutely hairy corolla, also curve in from a midrib-like central line. The lines become invisible before the narrowed tip part of the lobe.

The oblong, angled lateral lobes of this lower lip of the flower appear positioned for control of pollinator traffic, lest they miss bumping into a vital floral part at mealtime. There are outward bulges on these lateral lobes. Wrinkling of the corolla surface should suit insect clientele feet: one can’t be too careful these days about customer injuries from slipping on floors of public places!

The upper lip of the corolla is two-lobed (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Schmidt, et al, 2002; Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; iNaturalist).