Justicia tamilnadensis

DESCRIPTION Prostrate herb, 200 - 300 mm long; rootstock woody with fleshy roots. Stem prostrate, angled, slender, glabrous, bearded at nodes. Leaves sub-sessile, 9 - 35 × 3 - 6 mm, subcoriaceous, elliptic to oblong, opposite, cuneate at base, margins entire on young leaves and occasionally margins undulate on mature leaves, obtusely acute at apex, mid nerve prominent, lateral nerves 3 - 4, obscure. Inflorescence sub-terminal and terminal spikes, 15 - 50 mm long, loosely arranged, peduncle 4 - 10 mm long. Bracts linear-lanceolate, 5 - 9 × 2 - 3 mm, base truncate, margin entire, apex acute, ciliate at base. Bracteoles 2, lanceolate, 10 - 12 × 1.5 - 2 mm, 3 - nerved, nerves obscure, base truncate, margin entire, ciliate at base, acute at apex. Flowers 1 cm long; calyx lobes 5, equal in length, 5 × 1 mm, narrow, linear, cuneate at base, acute at apex, pubescent; corolla 1 cm long, pubescent without; corolla tube 5 mm long, pubescent in throat; bilabiate, upper two-lobed, lobes connate except tip, lower broadly 3 - lobed, mid lobe broader than lateral lobes, 4 × 3 mm, purplish inside, lateral lobes 4 × 2 mm, white inside. Stamens 2, exserted; filaments 5 mm long, glabrous; anthers 2 - celled, pubescent on upper anther cell, 3 mm long with 1 mm appendage on lower anther cell. Pistil 8 mm long, ovary 2 × 1.5 mm, ovules 4, style slender, 6 mm long, pubescent on basal half, stigma simple. Capsule 12 - 15 × 5 mm, sub-terete, white tomentose without, shortly mucronate at apex. Seeds 3 - 4, echinate.