Rungia longifolia subsp. keralensis

Kerala Rungia is a prostrate or spreading herb. Flowers are borne in a 2-4 cm long spike, carried on flower-cluster-stalk 2-3.5 cm long, green. Bracts are similar; bracts are 3.25-4 x 1-1.25 mm, narrowly lanceshaped or oblong. Bracteoles are 2, on either side of the sepal-cup, 4-4.5 x 0.7-0.8 mm, linear-lanceshaped. Flowers are 5-8 per inflorescence, stalkless or nearly so, 6-9 mm long, purple to white, 2-lipped, velvet-hairy. Flower-tube is 4.2-4.5 x 1.4-1.6 mm, upper lip bilobed, 1.9-2 x 1.8-1.9 mm, obovate; lower lip trilobed, 3.25-3.4 x 2.2-2.3 mm, obovate, white-pink with purple dotted streaks. Sepal-cup is 5 partite, 4.5-5 mm long, sepals 4-4.2 x 0.4-0.45 mm, linear-lanceshaped, glandular velvet-hairy. Stamens are 2, inserted at the throat, 1.8-2 mm long. Pistils are 5-6 mm long; ovary seated on a disc, 1.2-1.4 x 0.7-0.8 mm. Stem is round or or nearly so, rooting from the lower nodes, green to pale purple, bristly hairy. Leaves are simple, opposite, show heterophylly, juvenile leaves round-ovate; leaf-stalk 5-15 mm long; blade 2-8 x 0.5-1 cm, linear-lanceshaped, narrowed at base, distantly rounded toothed at margin, pointed-apiculate at tip, green above, glaucous beneath, hairless. Lateral nerves are 5-6 pairs. Capsules are 4-5 x 1.6-1.8 mm, ovoid-oblongoid, stiped, tip with a short sharp point, splitting longitudinally, green, bristly. Kerala Rungia is endemic to Kerala.