Botanical name: Strobilanthes maculatus    Family: Acanthaceae (Acanthus family)
Synonyms: Ruellia maculata

Spotted Coneflower is a rare plant found in Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya. Authoritative sources believe that this picture is the first ever picture taken of the actually growing plant. This plant was probably called Ruellia maculata, which originated from the Khasi Hills and was cultivated in the Calcutta Botanic Garden, where it flowered in 1816. Apparently no specimen was preserved. Spotted Coneflower is distinguished by the strongly protruding stamens, its broadly but shallowly serrate leaves and its relatively lax, usually paniculate spikes with oblong-oblanceolate, glandular-pubescent bracts. The leaves may or may not be spotted (species name maculata means spotted). It is a plietesial species, growing "socially" on the southern slopes of the Khasi Hills (Meghalaya), the Lushai Hills (Mizoram) and the Naga Hills (Nagaland). Found Flowering: November.

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The flower labeled Spotted Coneflower is ...