Dicliptera chinensis Juss.

Chinese foldwing (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Lamiales > Acanthaceae > Dicliptera

Characteristics

Herbs 30-80 cm tall, annual or biennial. Stems ridged, basally diffuse, apically erect, glabrous except for pubescence on young branches and nodes. Petiole to 0.5-3 cm, puberulent; leaf blade ovate-elliptic, 2-8 × 1.5-4 cm, abaxially sparsely puberulent along veins, adaxially glabrous, secondary veins 4 or 5 on each side of midvein and abaxially slightly prominent, base cuneate to attenuate and decurrent onto petiole, margin entire or slightly sinuate, apex shortly acuminate to acute. Inflorescences each of (1-)3 or 4 pedunculate cymes from upper leaf axils, 1-4 cm; inflorescence bracts subulate to linear to oblanceolate to obovate, 3-7.5 × 0.3-1 mm; peduncle 2-5 mm; cymules usually 3 or 4 per cyme; outer bracteoles elliptic to obovate, 5-13 × 3-8 mm, unequal, abaxially puberulent, 3-veined, margin ciliate, apex acute and mucronate; inner bracteoles linear, ca. 5 mm, abaxially hirsute, apex acuminate. Pedicel 0.5-3 mm, puberulent. Calyx ca. 5 mm; lobes linear, equal, margin hirsute, apex acuminate. Corolla pale purple, 1-1.2 cm, outside puberulent; tube slender, ca. 6 mm, ca. 1.5 mm wide; limb 2-lipped; lip in lower position ovate, ca. 5 × 3 mm, apex entire; lip in upper position oblong, ca. 4 × 1.5 mm, shallowly 3-lobed. Stamens inserted near apex of corolla tube; filaments ca. 4 mm, glabrous; thecae spherical, ca. 1.2 mm in diam., parallel. Ovary pilose at tip; style ca. 1.4 cm. Capsule broadly ellipsoid, ca. 6 mm, puberulent, 4-seeded, apex apiculate. Seeds circular in outline, ca. 2 mm in diam., covered with apically barbed papillae. Fl. Sep-Jan, fr. Nov-Feb. 2n = 26.
More
A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 30-50 cm high. It has soft hairs. The leaves are narrowly oval and 3-5 cm long by 1-3 cm wide. They taper to a short tip. The flowers are pink-purple and small. They do not have stalks. They are in groups in the axils of leaves.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.3 - 0.8
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

A tropical plant. It grows from sea level to high altitudes. It is best in humid and shaded locations. In southern China it grows near streams below 1,800 m above sea level. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Light 4-9
Soil humidity 3-5
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 6-11

Usage

The young leaves and tips are used uncooked or steamed to flavour food. They are used in soups and potherbs. They are also used to colour rice.
Uses food medicinal potherb
Edible leaves
Therapeutic use Gonorrhea (leaf), Whooping cough (leaf), Dysentery (unspecified), General tonic for rejuvenation (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

It grows easily from seed.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Dicliptera chinensis unspecified picture

Distribution

Dicliptera chinensis world distribution map, present in Afghanistan, Australia, China, Cambodia, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Thailand, Taiwan, Province of China, United States of America, and Viet Nam

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:47485-1
WFO ID wfo-0000645796
COL ID 35Q2J
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Adhatoda chinensis Calophanoides chinensis Diapedium chinense Dicliptera chinensis Dicliptera roxburghiana Justicia chinensis Justicia canescens