Distribution and habitat:  Found throughout Tropical America; also in India, Malaysia

Botany: Herb, 50 or 75 cm height; tender parts hispid. Nodes purplish.

• Leaves : Obovate to lanceolate, 5-9 x 2.5-4 cm, base cuneate to attenuate, apex obtuse to sub acute, petiole 2cm long.
• Flowers: solitary or in 3 flowered cymes, terminal or axillary. Bracts and bracteoles linear-lanceolate. Calyx- lobes subequal, or 1 or 2 longer, valvate, linear, scabrous, ciliate, acute. Corolla blue to violetish, 4 cm across; tube 3.5 cm; lobes subequal, or 1 or 2 smaller, twisted to left in bud, 1.5 cm. stamens 4, included; filaments pairs 4, hairy below. Anthers 4 mm, sagittate, puberulous; staminode linear. Ovary 4 x1.5 mm; style 2 cm; stigma 2 lamellate, flattened, ciliate or fimbriate, obtuse.
• Fruit : Capsule oblong, 2.5 x 0.4 cm, glabrous or scabrous, minutely beaked above.
•  Seeds : Flattened, orbicular, 2 mm across, hairy.

Properties: Potent antioxidant activity.

Propagation: Seeds.