ACANTHACEAE

Meiosperma bracteatum

Bract Justicia

Wildflowers

Local Context

Always a nice find in Raptor's View, this plant occurs in a wide range of soils, often thriving in disturbed areas like roadsides and old cultivated fields across Africa and Asia.

Identification

Growth: Erect annual herb up to 1.5 m tall.
Flowers: White, pink, or purple, often with darker lines on the lower lip, shaped like a small tube (up to 1 cm long) splitting into two lips.
Leaves: Egg-shaped, lance-shaped, or elliptic up to 12 cm long.
Texture: Leaves are sparsely covered in fine silky hairs, while the floral leaves (bracts) are often edged with distinct long glossy hairs.
Fruit: Small hairy capsule up to 7 mm long containing mottled grey and black seeds.

Did You Know?

For a long time, Meiosperma bracteatum was known as Monechma bracteatum, but it underwent a significant identity shift in 2022 when researchers dismantled the genus Monechma after discovering it was not a single, unified group. Genomic studies revealed that this species belongs to a small lineage that is very closely related to the massive and diverse genus Justicia, specifically within a group known as Justicia section Harnieria. In fact, throughout history, it has frequently been referred to as Justicia bracteata due to these strong physical and genetic similarities. However, rather than simply merging it into the already vast Justicia genus, taxonomists resurrected the older name Meiosperma to house this specific group of plants that share distinct seed characteristics—namely lens-shaped seeds with a sharp rim—that set them slightly apart from their Justicia relatives.

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