Common name: Chinese Violet, Ganges Primrose, Philippine Violet, Creeping Foxglove
Asystasia gangetica (L.) T.Anderson APNI* Synonyms: Asystasia gangetica subsp. micrantha (Nees) Ensermu APNI*
Description: Lightly pubescent perennial herb. Stems to 130 cm, procumbent and rooting or clambering.
Leaves 3–8 cm long, ovate, thin-textured, bright green.
Flowers borne in one-sided racemes to 10 cm long; corolla 3 cm long or slightly more, tubular -campanulate, exceeding calyx lobes, to 3 cm across at apex, lobes flaring, lavender pink, paler within.
Fruit 2.5 cm long.
Distribution and occurrence: Isolated infestations are known from the Tweed River valley, Kempsey, Port Macquarie, the lower Hunter Valley and Lake Macquarie. Also naturalised in Qld, NT, WA. Native to Africa, India, SE Asia, Malesia. Commonly on sandy soils, in disturbed situations.
NSW subdivisions: *NC
Other Australian states: *Qld *W.A. *N.T.
Two subspecies are sometimes recognised based on corolla size, A. gangetica subsp. gangetica and A. gangetica subsp. micrantha (Nees) Ensermu. Material in NSW is similar to the latter subspecies. However, these two subspecies are inadequate to describe the variation in this taxon, and are not recognised here. Pending further study Asystasia gangetica is best described as a species complex. It is a potentially serious weed in Australia and should be reported to your local weed control officers - see https://weeds.dpi.nsw.gov.au/Weeds/Chineseviolet and https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/media/Html/asystasia_gangetica_subsp._micrantha.htm
Text by J. Everett and D. Crayn (2001); edited KL Wilson (May 2009, December 2023)
Taxon concept: R. Barker (Flora of Australia, Acanthaceae manuscript)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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