Sonerila epeduncula - Stalkless Sonerila

Stalkless Sonerila is a succulent herb attaining 10-25 cm height. Flowers are borne at branch-ends, condensed in a 2-5-flowered cyme. Flower-cluster-stalk is absent. Flowers are pink, with 3 petals, 0.7-1.25 x 0.6-1 cm round-obovate, tapering at tip. Stamens are 3; filaments 0.4-0.5 cm long, hairless, white; anthers yellow, 3.7-4.8 mm, widely heart-shaped at base, hairless. Style 0.8-0.9 cm long, straight, deep pink towards the tip. Stigma capitate, hairless. Flower-stalk 6-7 mm, shorter than sepal-cup, light green. Sepal-cup is 0.7-1.1 cm long, bell-shaped, light green. Sepals are 3, 0.16-0.25 cm long, triangular, not falling off, hairless and pink tinge. Stems are rarely branched, becoming hairless, four-edged in shape and grooved, purple in color. Roots are hairy, 1-3 cm long. Leaves are opposite, fleshy, leaf-stalk 0.5-1.5 cm, above grooved, hairless, blade ovate, 2.1-3.5 x 1.5-2.2 cm, base heart-shaped to blunt, green with pink tinge below, both surface are hairless, margins finely sawtoothed with pink colorations, pointed at tip, prominently 5-nerved, a pair of nerve obscurely seen near the margin. Capsule is bell-shaped, 0.8-1.2 cm long and 0.5 cm wide, green. Stalkless Sonerila is known from Southern Western Ghats. Flowering: June-August.