Creeping to ascending herb, 20-90 cm, stems often rooting at the lower nodes, terete, higher up sometimes angular, glabrous to sparsely hairy. Leaves spirally arranged, ovate to broad ovate, (0.75-)1-6 by (0.5-)1-3.5 cm; base cordate to truncate or sometimes decurrent, apex acute, sometimes blunt, margin subentire to subdentate to repand-dentate; upper surface puberulous or glabrous, underneath puberulous, especially the nerves, or glabrous; petiole terete, 1-20 mm, sometimes puberulous to appressed-hairy. Flowers axillary, 7-12 mm. Pedicels terete, 1-2 cm, ebracteolate. Calyx lobes lanceolate to oblong triangular, acute, patent-hairy, sometimes glabrous, 3-5 by 0.5 mm, entire to subdentate, with curved hairs to dentate-ciliate. Corolla 5-9 mm, purplish to pale or creamy, inside glabrous to subglabrous with two gibbosities, dorsally slit to the base; dorsal lobes connate with the lateral ones for 2-3.5 mm, lateral lobes connate with the ventral one for 4-7 mm; dorsal lobes oblong or elliptic, 2.5-3 by 1-1.5 mm, falcate, entire to wavy, acute, outside on the nerves with long hairs, lateral and ventral lobes spathulate to ovate, 1-2 by 1-2 mm, entire, at the centre of the ventral lobe a white spot surrounding a purple stripe. Filaments 3-5 mm, for more than 0.75 free; free parts narrowed towards the base, all of equal width, haired; anthers from dorsal to ventral 1-1½ mm to 0.75-1 mm, hairy; all anthers at the apex with a hair tuft. Ovary cupular to obconical, 1.25-3 by 1 mm, scattered hairy to hairy (glabrous in specimens from Hainan); style glabrous. Capsule obconical to oblong ovate, 3-7 by 2-4 mm, with distinct nerves and a membranous pericarp. Seeds trigonous, 0.4 by 0.3 mm, light-brown; after withering the nerves and remains of the placenta persistent.
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Herbs, succulent. Stems prostrate, 4-angular, 20-60 cm, glabrous or puberulent, laxly branched, lower nodes rooted. Leaves spirally alternate; petiole 3-12 mm, puberulent; blade broadly deltoid-ovate or ovate, 1-5.4 × 0.8-3 cm, abaxially sparsely scaberulose along veins, adaxially glabrescent, base truncate, shallowly cordate, or broadly cuneate, margin serrulate, apex acute or obtuse. Flowers solitary and axillary; pedicels 0.5-2.8 cm, sparsely puberulent, bracteoles 2 at base, 1-2 mm, sometimes caducous. Calyx campanulate, 2-5 mm, puberulent; lobes linear, narrowly triangular, or narrowly oblong, 3-7 × 0.5-1 mm, ciliate. Corolla 2-lipped, purple, pale purple, or white, 5-15 mm, posterior side divided to base, lobes of upper lip obovate-oblong, those of lower lip broadly elliptic, abaxially sparsely villous along middle ribs. Filaments connate into a tube at 2/3; anther tube 1-1.8 mm, abaxially puberulent, anthers all barbate at top. Ovary inferior. Capsule broadly ellipsoid, obovoid, or oblong, 4-7 × 2-4 mm, obviously veined. Seeds 3-angular, red-brown. Fl. and fr. whole year round.
A herb that lies along the ground. It keeps growing from year to year. It can be 20 cm high. They are 3 angled near the top. The leaves are oval and 2-4 cm long by about 1 cm wide. The flowers occur singly. They are in the axils of leaves. They are yellowish white and sometimes have streaks of violet. The fruit is a capsule and 4-6 mm long. They are 3 sided.
On shaded grassy grounds and moist places, under everwet climatic conditions. In coffee, tea, and rubber plantations, in open places in primary forest along streams, in shaded ravines, etc., from the lowland up to 1500, rarely 1650-2000 m. Fl. fr. Jan.-Dec.
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By water and streams in ravines at elevations up to 1,500 metres. Often abundantly naturalized along trails in dense forest and also in dry forest, wet clearings, cocoa plantations, pastures, marshes, and swamps, and along roadsides in Fiji.
A tropical plant. In Fiji it grows from sea level to 1,000 m altitude. In Java it grows between 200-1,200 m above sea level. It grows in sunny, humid or lightly shaded localities. In Yunnan.