Strobilanthes carnatica - Carnatic Coneflower

Carnatic Coneflower is a shrub with flowers bone in distinctly interrupted narrow spikes, 1.2-10 x 0.2-0.5 cm at anthesis. Flowers are pale blue; tube 2.1-4.5 mm long; throat bell-shaped, 9-11 mm long; petals divided equally, broadly triangular, 2.2-4.4 x 2.5-3.9 mm, tips blunt; outer surface hairless or rarely with short reflexed hairs. Stamens do not protrude out, filaments 4.4-6.0 mm long. Sepal-cup is unequal, often with two or three lobes distinctly shorter than the rest, fused for 0.4-0.6 of the total length at anthesis; sepals lanceshaped, 4.8-8.1 mm long, tip pointed. Bracts are ovate 4.4 - 7.4 x 1.5 - 2.7 mm. Stem is hairless, and leaves broadly to narrowly ovate, 0.5-14.5 x 0.3-7.3 cm; base decurrent, often asymmetrical; tip of mature leaves long-tapering; margins entire to slightly toothed or sawtoothed. Veins are 4-9 pairs, prominent on both surfaces; leaf-stalk up to 6.5 cm long. Carnatic Coneflower is presently found only in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.