Barleria strigosa

Native from the Indian subcontinent to Yunnan, China and mainland Southeast Asia, this upright perennial shrub grows about 3 feet tall and is cultivated for its purple flowers. Stiff hairs cover the stems and leaves, giving the species its name. Dense flower spikes develop at branch tips and where leaves meet the stems, with large purple sepals surrounding the tubular flowers. The shiny capsules contain four seeds. Wild plants grow in forests. The leaves have a history of use in Thai traditional medicine for fever, but laboratory studies do not establish their effectiveness as medical treatments. Photographed in Floridablanca, Colombia.