Acanthaceae
Ruellia inflata Rich.
Kingdom: Plantae Rank: Species Parent: Ruellia Status: Invalid Reason: unverified
Morphological Description
Diagnosis: Scandent herb to 1 m tall or climbing vine. Flowers tubular, inflated above, narrowing to compressed below, bright red.
Vegetative Morphology
Habit: Scandent herb to 1 m tall or climbing vine.
Leaves: Leaves simple, opposite; petioles to ca. 2 cm long; lamina lanceolate, to ca. 4 x 10 cm, light pubescent, the base weakly asymmetric, the apex long-acuminate, the margins entire or crenulate.
Reproductive Morphology
Inflorescence: Inflorescence of solitary flowers in leaf axils or elongate, few-flowered axillary spike.
Flowers: Flowers to ca. 7 cm long; calyx actinomorphic, the lobes linear to 2 cm long; corolla tubular, narrow below, inflated above, 5-labiate, bright red; fertile stamens 4, didynamous, exerted from corolla below upper lip.
Fruit: Fruit a bivalved capsule to ca. 2 cm long.
Seeds: Seeds numerous per fruit.
Other
Notes: Bright red flowers are pollinated by hummingbirds.