Wishbone Flower

We agree with Burtt (Rheedea 1: 7. 1991) in that the species treated as Torenia asiatica in Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 67(2): 164. 1979 may in fact be a Himalayan species, T. cordata (Griffith) Dutta, and the species that was treated as T. glabra is in fact T. asiatica.

Herbs, creeping to suberect, rooting from nodes. Branches numerous, long, slender. Petiole 2-8 mm; leaf blade triangular-ovate, narrowly ovate, or ovate-orbicular, 1.5-3.2 X 1-2 cm, glabrous or sparsely villous, base abruptly constricted and subtruncate to broadly cuneate, margin crenate and serrate. Flowers axillary and solitary or in fascicles. Pedicel 0.5-2 cm. Calyx 0.8-1.5 cm, 1.5-2 cm in fruit, 2-lipped, 5-winged; lips narrowly triangular, apex acuminate, further lobed into 5 small lobes; wings more than 1 mm wide, decurrent. Corolla purple-red to blue-red, 1.5-2.5 cm, exceeding calyx by 0.4-1 cm. Anterior stamens appendages linear, 1-2 mm. Capsule 1-1.3 cm. Seeds yellow, ca. 0.4 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun-Sep.

Himalaya, India, Ceylon, Burma, east to China, Malaysia.

Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Japan, Vietnam].

900-1800 m

Mountain slopes, trailsides, shady places; below 1700 m.

Torenia glabra Osbeck.