Japanese name: アシスタシア トラヴァンコリカ Scientific name:Asystasia travancorica
[Overview]
An evergreen perennial that branches well and grows to about 50–70 cm tall.
The base of the stem becomes woody.
The leaves are simple and opposite, lanceolate to broadly linear, about 15 cm long and 1.5 cm wide, with 5–6 pairs of lateral veins extending obliquely.
The leaf margin is entire.
A raceme is produced at the stem tip, bearing flowers 1–3 at a time.
The flowers are funnel-shaped, about 2 cm long and purple, with the tip divided into 5 lobes in a two-lipped form.
The fruit is a capsule with woolly hairs.
[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings, which is easy because nodes touching the ground root.
It prefers sunny, well-drained soil.
It has weak cold tolerance, so bring it into a sunny place indoors in winter.
From spring to autumn, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; keep on the dry side in winter.
From spring to autumn, place slow-release fertilizer on the soil.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
