Justicia carthaginensis

Native from Mexico through tropical America, it is an herb or subshrub that develops a woody base. It grows on slopes, in disturbed places and in thickets, including coastal habitats in both moist and dry settings. Dense terminal spikes carry purple flowers with a broad, three-lobed lower lip. Club-shaped capsules contain nearly spherical seeds that darken as they mature. In Colombia, it grows in the Caribbean lowlands and on offshore islands. Photographed in the department of Magdalena, Colombia.