SafePlants

Asystasia gangetica: An Overview

Asystasia gangetica, belonging to the Acanthaceae family, is known by several common names and has a notable presence in tropical regions.

Nomenclature and Taxonomy

• Scientific Name: Asystasia gangetica (L.) T. Anderson
• Family: Acanthaceae (Acanthus family)
• Genus: Asystasia Blume
• Common Names: Chinese violet, coromandel, creeping foxglove, Ganges primrose, Philippine violet, tropical violet, tropical primrose, Common Asystasia, Violet Asystasia.
• Synonyms: Asystasia coromandeliana Wight ex Nees, Justicia gangetica L., Ruellia secunda Vahl, Ruellia zeylanica Koen. ex Roxb., Asystasia intrusa Blume.

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to tropical Africa, Arabia, India, and Sri Lanka.
• Introduced to many other tropical regions.
• Found in Myanmar (Burma), China (Yunnan, Guangdong), South India, Thailand, Vietnam, peninsular Malaysia, and the Andaman Islands.
• Found in open and semi-shaded areas.

Ecological Role

• Considered an environmental weed in northern Queensland.
• Listed on the Alert List for Environmental Weeds as Asystasia gangetica subspecies micrantha.

Morphological Characteristics

• Lightly pubescent perennial herb.
• Stems can reach up to 130 cm, procumbent and rooting or clambering.
• Erect or scrambling perennial, up to c. 1 m.
• Leaves opposite, ovate, occasionally finely hairy margin entire, 1.5–4.5 cm long, 0.5–3 cm wide.
• Flowers in a terminal, often one-sided inflorescence.
• Asystasia gangetica ssp. micrantha features white bell-shaped flowers (20-25 mm long) with purple stripes.
• Perennial mat-forming trailing herb to 50 cm tall (can grow up to 2 m tall if supported by other vegetation).

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Colletotrichum gloeosporioides has been reported as a pathogen.

Traditional Uses

• The leaf is used in many parts of Nigeria for the management of asthma.
• Used as a vegetable in times of food scarcity in India.
• Locally used as a potherb and leafy vegetable in Kenya and Uganda.