Pseuderanthemum variabile

Pseuderanthemum variabile
File:Pseuderanthemum variabile flowering - Chatswood.jpg
Pseuderanthemum variabile flowering in a Blackbutt forest at Chatswood West, Australia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Acanthaceae
Genus:	Pseuderanthemum
Species:	P. variabile
Binomial name
Pseuderanthemum variabile (R.Br.) Radlk.

Pseuderanthemum variabile is a species of plant in the Acanthaceae family. Its natural habitat is the floor of rainforest or wet eucalyptus forest of northern and eastern Australia, north of Bega, New South Wales. Common names include night and afternoon, pastel flower and love flower.

Description

A small ground cover, up to 30 cm high. The branches are hairy.

Leaves from 2 to 7 cm long, up to 4 cm wide. Lanceolate to ovate in shape. Sometimes a hard mineral deposit occurs on the leaves. The base of the leaf can be purple, dotted with glands.

Flowers occur between November and May, being delicate in form; white, lilac, purple or blue in colour. Sometimes with spots near the middle. Occasionally the flowers do not open and are self fertilising. The fruit is a capsule, sometimes hairy.

Uses

Used as a garden plant because of the attractive flowers. The low creeping form is appealing in the garden.