Cuphea hyssopifolia Kunth

Family: Lythraceae

Taxonomy: Plantae > Tracheophyta > Magnoliopsida > Myrtales > Lythraceae > Cuphea > Cuphea hyssopifolia Kunth

Common name [English]: False Heather

Vernacular name [Malayalam]:

Nativity: Mexico to Central America

Habitat: Occurs in the understorey of deciduous and semi-deciduous lowland and mid-elevation forests and in oak forests. Grows along the edges of creeks and rivers and in humid forests, and in disturbed areas.

Description: Short, evergreen shrubs growing 20 – 70 cm tall. Leaves opposite, narrowly lanceolate. Solitary flowers grow from the leaf axils along the branches. Each flower has 6 pink, purple or white petals emerging from a green floral tube . The calyx teeth are triangular and the calyx may be glabrous or with a few stiff hairs. Fruits are 3-lobed capsules containing 5-8 seeds, each about 1 mm in diameter.

Flowering and Fruiting: Summer

Uses: Widely grown and sold as an ornamental plant. It is used medicinally in Mexico and in Bangladesh. The plant is considered attractive to honeybees and other pollinators

Cultivation: Ornamental, Wild

References

http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org

https://indiabiodiversity.org