Cuphea carthagenensis

Native from Mexico through tropical America, this annual herb or small subshrub grows about 2 feet tall. Its upright or spreading stems have sticky glandular hairs and bristles, while the opposite, oval leaves feel rough. Tiny violet to purple flowers have six petals above a short, slightly spurred floral tube. Small rounded capsules contain four to eight flattened seeds. It grows in moist, disturbed places and has become naturalized in parts of New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. Photographed in Choco, Ecuador.