Hygrophila auriculata 

Hygrophila auriculata (K. Schum.) Heine, Kew Bull.                                       

Family     :   Acanthaceae

Common Name :വയൽച്ചുള്ളി(Mal)

                                Marsh Barbel (Eng)

  भानकरी(Hin)                       

     IUCN status         : Least concern (LC) -

Marsh Barbel is a stout aquatic perennial herb, 1-2 m high. Erect unbranched stems are hairy near swollen nodes. Densely hairy, lance-like, stalkless leaves, 10-15 cm long, occur in whorls of 6 at each node on the stem. Straight, yellow, 4 cm long spines are present in the axil of each leaf. Flowers occur in 4 pairs at each node. The 3 cm long purple-blue flowers are 2-lipped - the upper lip is 2-lobed and the lower one 3-lobed with lengthwise folds. Flowers open in opposite pairs.

Subshrubs, strigose-hispid, with sharp axillary thorns. Leaves in whorls of 8, unequal, 6-10 x 2-4 cm, linear-lanceolate, apex acute, base cuneate, margins dentate and wavy, larger pair, sessile; thorns 2-3 cm long. Flowers in axillary whorls; bracts and bracteoles leafy, 1.2 cm long. Calyx lobes 4, larger lobe 1 cm long. Corolla pink to blue, 1.5 cm long, bilipped, lobes obtuse, ciliate; midlobe of lower lip with an yellow spot. Stamens 4, didynamous, filaments of larger pair ca. 1 cm long and of smaller pair 0.5 cm long. Capsule 1 cm long; seeds 4-8, orbicular, 3 mm across.