Hygrophila spiciformis Lindau

spiciformis: resembling a spike

Erect, procumbent or somewhat scrambling, sticky glandular perennial herb, aromatic when crushed. Stems up to 1 m long, with stalked glands and flattened glossy hairs. Leaves opposite, more or less narrowly elliptic, up to 15 cm long, with scattered hairs above, more or less densely hairy below, particularly along the veins. Flowers in 1-6-flowered clusters, together forming a spike-like inflorescence up to 25 cm long; axes more or less densely hairy, many stalked glands and leaf-like bracts upto 2.5 cm long. Corolla mauve, blue or purple with conspicuous white markings and darker veins, 2-3.5 cm long, 2-lipped; lower lip elliptic with long clavate hairs. Capsule 10-12 mm long, finely velvety and with stalked glands near the apex.

DRC, Rwanda, Ethiopia Kenya, Uganda Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe