Peristrophe bicalyculata (Retz.) Nees
An erect to spreading, upto 1 m tall hairy herb with sharply 4-6-angled stems. Leaves on 1-1.7 cm long petioles; lamina ovate-elliptic to lanceolate, 4-6 x 1.5-4 cm, densely lineolate, ± pubescent especially on nerves beneath, basally rounded to acute, acute to acuminate at the apex. Flowers pedicellate, pink or purple, in a terminal or axillary lax panicle of cymes; bracts 2, linear-spathulate, much unequal, 7-15 mm long, acute; brcteoles in 2 valvate pairs, unequal-subequal, scarious on margins, acute. Calyx lobes linear, c. 3.5-4 mm long, hairy, acute, valvate. Corolla tube cylindrical, 4-5 mm long, lips subequal, puberulous; upper lip elliptic-oblong, 5-7 mm long, entire or notched; lower lip slightly longer than upper, deflexed, slightly crested with 3 acte lobes. Staminal filaments c. 5 mm long, hairy. Ovary oblong, apically pubescent; style c. 1 cm long. Capsule ellipsoid, 1-1.2 cm long, basally solid ad hairy, acuminate. Seeds orbicular, c. 2.5 mm across, minutely papillate.
Fl. Per.: October-February.
Lectotype: Yemen, Forsskal 385 (C).
Distribution: Tropical Africa, Pakistan, (Punjab, Sind), India, Burma, Malaya and Indo-China.
Common in waste places from sea level to 600 m in wasteland. The plant is said to be commonly eaten by rats in the Tharparkar desert.