Acanthaceae FAMILY

Justicia insularis

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitAnnual/Perennial

Growth—

Requires a humus-rich, fertile soil for optimum growth, but can succeed in sandy or loamy soils[617[. A very variable plant.

Propagation

Seed - in the wild, the seed remains dormant during the dry season, germinating with the return of the rains^[1]. Seed should be harvested before the fruit is fully ripe, or the fruit splits and scatters the seed^[1]. Spontaneous seedlings can be transplanted into the garden^[1]. Root cuttings obtained from the basal portion of the stem^[1]. Stem cuttings about 15cm long^[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Justicia+insularis>

Pollinators

Insects

References

[1]Traditional Vegetables in Benin — Achigan-Dako E. Et al · Darwin Initiative; International Foundation for Science · 2009 ↩︎Issued as a PDF on the Internet, it contains basic information on over 250 species of plants used for food in Benin.