Graptophyllum pictum (L.) Griff.

First published in Not. Pl. Asiat. 4: 139 (1854)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is New Guinea. It is a shrub and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Flora Zambesiaca Acanthaceae (part 2) by Iain Darbyshire, Kaj Vollesen and Ensermu Kelbessa

Morphology General Habit
Shrub; cystoliths present.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves variegated, either green and yellow or dark green and pink, elliptic, base cuneate to attenuate, apex shortly acuminate, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers held in a short terminal thyrse; bracts and bracteoles inconspicuous, lanceolate, 2–3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx of 5 ± equal lanceolate lobes c.4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla deep reddish-purple, 35–40 mm long, tube gradually expanded to mouth, curved, to c.25 mm long; limb 2-lipped, upper lip 2-lobed, lower lip divided into 3 oblong lobes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 2, exserted, bithecous, thecae at equal height; staminodes 2.
Distribution
Native of the Indo-Pacific region, though its exact native distribution apparently unknown. Very widely cultivated in the tropics.
[FZ]

Acanthaceae, H. Heine. Flora of West Tropical Africa 2. 1963

Morphology General Habit
A glabrous shrub
Morphology Leaves
Variegated leaves, often copper-coloured (see note below)
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Red-purple tubular flowers 1-11/2 in. long in narrow panicles
Note
Planted in gardens as an ornamental.
[FWTA]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images