College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
justicia brandegeana
Common name:
Specimen location:
Shrimp Plant
Additional common name(s):
False Hop, Mexican Shrimp Plant
Subclass:
Asteridae
Clade:
Eudicots
Superorder:
Asteranae
Order:
Lamiales
Family:
Acanthaceae
Biological Interest(s)
Rarely growing more than a meter, the spindly limbs of the Justicia Brandegeeana produce white flowers at the end of red bracts. Owing its name to the to the iconic foliage, the specialized leafs (bracts) on the plant gives the appearence of shrimp or hops. The plant is propagated by stem cuttings.
Ethnobotany
With low light and tropical temperatures required to grow, the Shrimp Plant makes a great house plant. While commonly displaying red bracts, cultivars come in a variety of colours.
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