Aphelandra scabra

Native from Mexico to northern South America, this shrub or subshrub grows about 3 to 10 feet tall in moist forests and along roads and streams. Its opposite leaves have very short stalks. Red, two-lipped tubular flowers emerge from terminal spikes of green bracts and attract hummingbirds. In Panama, flowering and fruiting occur throughout the year, especially from June to September. Small, elliptical capsules release the seeds. It is cultivated as an ornamental for its colorful flowering spikes. In Colombia, it occurs from sea level to about 1,650 feet. Photographed in the department of Atlantico, Colombia and Panama.