Indian Wishbone Flower is an annual herb, which has
often been confused with
Heart-Leaf Wishbone Flower.
Stem is 4-angled, erect or sometimes rooting at the lower nodes, moderately
fringed with hairs on the angles. Leaves are opposite, decussate, stalked,
ovate or ovate-lanceshaped, penninerved, velvet-hairy especially on
the nerves, wedge-shaped at the base, narrowing to wings on the leaf-stalk;
leaf-stalks hairy, up to 1.5 cm long. Leaves are up to 2 x 3.5 cm.
Flowers are crowded together in the axils of the upper leaves ; flowering
flower-stalks 1 cm long ; fruiting 1.5 cm, 4-angled, fringed with
hairs. Sepal-cup is 2-lipped, about 1 cm long ; upper lip 3-toothed ;
lower lip 2-toothed; wings fringed with hairs, heart-shaped at base,
non decurrent. Flowers are white or light violet, 2-lipped, 1.5 cm long; tube
equaling the sepal-cup, distended at the base, interiorly hairy on lobes
below. Stamens are 4, didynamous ; lower filaments longer.
The common name “Wishbone Flower” comes from the two stamens united at the anthers, forming a structure that resembles a chicken wishbone.
Capsules are oblong-elliptic, included. Indian Wishbone Flower is
endemic to the Western Ghats. Flowering: September-November.
Identification credit: Prashant Awale
Photographed at Panvel, Maharashtra.
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The flower labeled Indian Wishbone Flower is ...