Compilation
Justicia bracteata

Annual herb, erect, up to c. 60 cm tall; stems greyish green, very densely pubescent with 0.1–0.2 mm long spreading to retrorse hairs. Leaves green with prominent pale veins on the lower surface, sparsely pubescent with c. 0.1 mm long spreading hairs; blade thin, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, up to 40–67 x 17–25 mm, base shortly attenuate, apex obtuse; petiole up to 12–18 mm long. Flowers in axillary spikes which may be lax and branched at lower nodes and confluent forming a compound spike in the upper part of the stem; bracts ovate to broadly ovate, up to 4–8 x 3.5–6 mm, ± densely pubescent at margin with erect up to 1.5–1.8 mm long thick erect hairs, elsewhere sparsely pubescent with c. 0.1 mm long spreading hairs, apex acute to acuminate, often with contorted apex; bracteoles inconspicuous. Calyx-lobes 5, narrowly triangular, densely pubescent with up to 0.25 mm long erect glandular and eglandular hairs, 3.3–5 x 0.3–0.7 mm. Corolla pinkish/purplish with faint markings at lower lip near throat, 5–7.7 mm long; tube 3.3–4.5 mm long; upper lip slightly hooded, 2.5–3 mm long; lower lip 3.1–3.5 mm long and up to 3.7–5 mm wide. Anthers greenish, c. 1–1.1 mm long, cells displaced by c. 0.2 mm, tail of lower cell c. 0.3–0.4 mm long. Capsule 2-seeded, greenish, fairly densely pubescent with 0.15–0.2 mm long erect to slightly retrorse eglandular hairs, up to 6.2–7.3 x 2–2.2 mm, sterile in lower 1/4 to 1/3. Seeds blackish, smooth, flattened, up to 2.5–2.9 mm in diam.