Ruellia tuberosa

Ruellia tuberosa is a perennial herb native from Mexico through Central America to northern South America and Peru, and throughout the Caribbean. Several upright stems grow from a woody rootstock with thickened, tuberous roots. Opposite green leaves accompany mauve to bluish-purple trumpet-shaped flowers with five spreading lobes. The flowers open during the day and are followed by slender capsules that burst open when wet, scattering their seeds. It grows in grasslands, roadsides, and disturbed ground. Photographed in the department of Magdalena, Colombia.