Scientific Name
Other Names
Life Form
Family
Ornamental - Popular houseplant or annual groundcover due to its attractive foliage and long blooming period.
Mexico
Thrives in the seasonally dry tropical biome, in various disturbed habitats with some sunlight and moderate moisture.
It is creeping herb initially with erect stems that later trail along the ground.
Stem is fleshy, typically around 40 cm long.
Leaves are lance-shaped, reaching 18 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, covered in pale hairs, deep purple color in full sun, fading to green in lower light.
Flowers are pale orchid-pink, three-petaled, 1.3-2 cm wide, emerge from curving double bracts at the stem tips. Bloom continuously during warm weather, but open only in the morning.
Fruit is inconspicuous capsule. This capsule likely contain seeds for reproduction.