Pig Squeak is a perennial herb, 15-30 cm tall, with
large roundish leaves and bright pink flower. The plant got its name
from the fact that a pig squeaking sound that can be made if one rubs
two leaves of the plant together. Leaves are all basal; leaf-stalk 3-9
cm, sheathing base hairless at margin. Leaves are narrowly to broadly
obovate or elliptic, 5-12.5 x 3.5-9.5 cm, leathery, both surfaces
hairless and glandular pitted, base usually wedge-shaped, rarely
rounded, margin sinuate-toothed, tip blunt. Flowers are borne in cymes
3.5-13 cm long, many flowered; branches and flower-stalks glandular.
Petals are purple, elliptic to broadly ovate, 7-8 x 4.6-5 mm, veins
many, base narrowed into a claw about 1 mm, tip flat. Stamens are about
4.5 mm. Hypanthium is glandular. Sepals are erect, obovate to broadly
triangular-obovate, 3-4 x 2-4 mm, leathery, below nearly glandular,
veins many, margin hairless, tip blunt or retuse. Ovary is ovoid, about
2.5 mm; styles 2, about 2.5 mm. Pig Squeak is native to China,
Mongolia, Sibera to Korea. Flowering: May-September.
Identification credit: Kalyan Brata Santra
Photographed in cultivation in Rishyap, Kalimpong, WB.
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The flower labeled Pig Squeak is ...