Plant Justicia

Justicia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae. It is the largest genus within the family, with over 900 accepted species. They are native to tropical to warm temperate regions of the Americas, India, and Africa. The genus serves as host to many butterfly species, such as Anartia fatima. Common names include water-willow and shrimp plant, the latter from the inflorescences, which resemble a shrimp in some species. The generic name honours Scottish horticulturist James Justice (1698–1763). They are closely related to Pachystachys.

Justicia
Justicia carnea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Acanthaceae
Subfamily:	Acanthoideae
Tribe:	Justicieae
Genus:	Justicia L. (1753), nom. cons.
Species
Over 900, see list of Justicia species
Synonyms
List Acelica Rizzini Adatoda Raf. Adeloda Raf. Adhatoda Mill. Athlianthus Endl. Aulojusticia Lindau Beloperone Nees Beloperonides Oerst. Bentia Rolfe Calliaspidia Bremek. Calophanoides (C.B.Clarke) Ridl. Calymmostachya Bremek. Carima Raf. Chaetochlamys Lindau Chaetothylax Nees Chaetothylopsis Oerst. Chiloglossa Oerst. Cyphisia Rizzini Cyrtanthera Nees Cyrtantherella Oerst. Digyroloma Turcz. Dimanisa Raf. Drejerella Lindau Duvernoia Nees Duvernoya E.Mey. Dyspemptemorion Bremek. Ecbolium Riv. ex Kuntze Emularia Raf. Ethesia Raf. Gendarussa Nees Glosarithys Rizzini Gromovia Regel Harnieria Solms Heinzelia Nees Hemichoriste Nees Heteraspidia Rizzini Ixtlania M.E.Jones Jacobinia Moric. Kuestera Regel Leptostachya Nees Libonia K.Koch Lophothecium Rizzini Lustrinia Raf. Mananthes Bremek. Megalostoma Leonard Neohallia Hemsl. Orthotactus Nees Pelecostemon Leonard Petalanthera Raf. Plegmatolemma Bremek. Porphyrocoma Scheidw. ex Hook. Pupilla Rizzini Rhyticalymma Bremek. Roslinia Neck. Salviacanthus Lindau Sarojusticia Bremek. Sarotheca Nees × Sericobonia Linden & André Sericographis Nees Simonisia Nees Siphonoglossa Oerst. Thalestris Rizzini Thamnojusticia Mildbr. Tyloglossa Hochst. Vada-kodi Adans.

They are evergreen, perennial plants and shrubs with leaves that are often strongly veined, but they are primarily cultivated for their showy, tubular flowers in shades of white, cream, yellow, orange, violet, or pink. Excepting J. americana L., they are not hardy below 7 °C (45 °F), so must be grown under glass in frost-prone areas.

915 species are accepted. Selected species include:

J. brandegeeana (formerly Beloperone guttata, commonly called shrimp plant) is native to Mexico. It is hardy to −4 °C, but often recovers in the spring after freezing back in USDA Plant Zone 8a. J. carnea (formerly Jacobinia carnea, common names including Brazilian plume flower, flamingo flower, and jacobinia) is native to South America in southern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. It is hardy to −2 °C but often recovers in the spring after freezing back in USDA Plant Zone 8a. J. procumbens is a procumbent herb with angular stems, swollen at the nodes, with small, ovate leaves; small, purple flowers in terminal spikes; inserted didynamous stamens; and shortly bilobed stigmata.

Formerly placed here

• Dianthera americana L. (as Justicia americana (L.) Vahl)
• Dianthera angustifolia (Nees) Benth. & Hook.f. ex B.D.Jacks. (as Justicia angustifolia (Nees) Lindau)
• Dianthera incerta Brandegee (as Justicia austrocapensis T.F.Daniel)
• Nicoteba betonica (L.) Lindau (as Justicia betonica L.)
• Rostellularia procumbens (L.) Nees (as Justicia procumbens L., J. hirtella Wall., J. japonica Thunb., and J. media R.Br.)