Crossandra nilotica Oliv., Trans. Linn. Soc. London 29: 128 1875. (Syn: Barleria rhynchocarpa Klotzsch; Crossandra nilotica var. acuminata Lindau ex C.B.Clarke; Crossandra rhynchocarpa (Klotzsch) Cufod.; Crossandra smithii S.Moore); Crossandra nilotica: Crossandra nilotica is a small evergreen shrub of acanthaceae family. Common name- Firecracker Plant Plant habit- Shrub Plant height- 1.5 feet - 2 feet. Habitat- Wild Location- Pune Date- 7 th March 2011. why not Crossandra infundibuliformis?
both the leaves and the flower of C. nilotica differ from Crossandra infundibuliformis.
For comparison I m posting both plant pics (in a new message). Crossandra nilotica and Crossandra infundibuliformis: Here are the pics of both: Crossandra infundibuliformis and Crossandra nilotica for comparison.
... an observation: there is no much discussion on internet about Crossandra nilotica having naturalized OR growing wild in India. NPGS/GRIN <http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?12274> puts its nativity to tropical (central and eastern) Africa. Is it found anywhere else in our country?
Also you are right and because of this fact that " there is no much discussion on internet about Crossandra nilotica having naturalized OR growing wild in India "", I couldn't identify it then. (I referred FOI but it is not there). By chance I found it's reference somewhere and identified it. I found it growing by roadside among debris and wild plants in Warje, Pune. I dunno what to make of it..whether it is getting naturalized here or it's just one exception. So it's up to the experts here to judge all this.
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# Species- Seed plants (families) > A---L (families & genera) > A > Acanthaceae > Crossandra >