ACANTHACEAE

Ruellia malacophylla

Soft-leaved Ruellia

Wildflowers

Local Context

A common Raptor's View plant often missing from field guides, Ruellia malacophylla flowers a few weeks after the first rains. Distinguish it from the usually white-flowered Ruellia patula by its soft, wavy-edged leaves on visible stalks and longer, trumpet-like flowers. Meanwhile, Ruellia prostrata stands apart with its tall, upright growth in shady spots.

Identification

Growth: Perennial erect herb or dwarf shrub typically 10–50 cm tall.
Flowers: Mauve or purple with a long cylindrical tube (>2.5 cm) creating a trumpet shape, sometimes with a darker line on the petals.
Leaves: Broadly egg-shaped on distinct stalks with wavy/scalloped margins.
Texture: The whole plant is densely soft and velvety (malacophylla literally means soft leaf).
Fruit: Club-shaped capsule up to 1.8 cm long containing shiny, buff-olive coloured seeds.

Did You Know?

While the other Ruellia species on the estate are very variable and widespread across Africa and Asia, this plant is endemic to the grassland and bushveld of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Eswatini, often found near streams, on mountain slopes or rocky soils. Considering how common it is here, it seems greatly underreported. We were put on the right ID trail by botanist Warren McCleland.

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