Justicia simplex is a Creeping and ascending herb belonging to the family Acanthaceae. Commonly found on bunds of cultivated fields, irrigation canals, along road-cuts and in open places. Flowering in all seasons. Leaves subsessile, 1-4x 0.5-1.8 cm, ovate-linear, with cystoliths (intracellular calcified bodies) irregularly oriented. Spikes many-flowered, bracts broad, scarious along margin; bracteoles similar but narrower. Calyx lobes 4, bracteoles-like, strongly nerved; nerves and margin hairy. Corolla 0.6 cm long, usually pink, sometimes white. The plant is distributed in E. Africa, India and Malaysia.

Fig. 1. Apis cerana indica & Apis dorsata foraging on Justicia simplex

Fig. 2. Spotted Small Flat and Chestnut Bob foraging on Justicia simplex

Fig. 3. Blue Pansy & Pea Blue butterfly foraging on Justicia simplex

Reference

• Saldanha, J.C. and Nicolson, H.D. 1976. Flora of Hassan District, Karnataka, India. Amerind Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd., and Cecil J. Saldanha. Pp. 83.

Photographs and Text
Sameer Ali
Energy and Wetlands Research Group,
Centre for Ecological Sciences,
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore – 560 012.
Email: samalisagar@yahoo.co.in