Acanthaceae
Ruellia sp?
Observed blooming a rocky, grazed hillside near Eldoret, Kenya, Africa. December 2012.
LEAVES: The opposite leaves are broadly elyptical, mostly blunt-tipped,
rather thick, and mostly free of pubescence.
HERBACEOUS: Herbaceous growth very low and essentially prostrate on
ground. This character might have been due in part to heavy grazing pressure.
FLOWERS: Small, purple, bilaterally symetrical. Darker purple guides
into throat of the tubular flower.
RANGE: One of several species of Ruellia found in grazing areas
in the vicinity of Eldoret, in the Rift Valley at 1900 m elevation.
FRUIT: A two-valved, flattened capsule springs open when the seeds are
ripe and ready to be dispersed.
UNARMED.