Hypoestes
(from hypo, under, and estia, house; referring to the bracts covering the calyx). ORD. Acanthaceae. A genus of about forty species of stove, evergreen shrubs or perennial herbs, natives of Southern and tropical Africa, Madagascar, West Indies, China, the Malayan Archipelago, and Australia. Flower-heads often sessile, or shortly pedicellate. Leaves entire or dentate. The species require similar culture to Justicia (which see). H. aristata (awned). fl. in axillary clusters, which, being more crowded upwards, are there disposed in stout terminal spikes, inclosed singly, or in pairs or threes, in an involucre of two lanceolate, concave bracts, which terminate in long awns; corolla rose-purple; tube pubescent, expanding into a narrowly campanulate throat; lips shorter than the tube; lateral lobes striped, and the middle one spotted with purple. February. l. petioled, ovate, acute, membranous, dark green, faintly pubescent above, and still more so beneath. h. 2ft. to 3ft. South Africa, 1874. An erect branched herb. (B. M. 6224.) H. involucrata (involucrate). fl. white; racemes axillary, erect, shorter than the leaves. July and August. l. lanceolate, toothed. Stem hairy. h. 1 1/2ft. India, 1811. Herb.
H. purpurea (purple). fl. purple; spikes axillary and terminal. May and June. Branches pubescent. h. 2ft. China, 1822. Herb.
H. sanguinolenta (blood-veined).* fl. pale purple, with a white throat, and darker markings of purple on the white; sepals narrow, ciliate, shorter than the corolla tube; corolla resupinate; tube slender, curved. l. oblong or obovate-oblong, obtuse, narrowed into a rather broad petiole, entire, the margin waved a little, pubescent on both surfaces; veins conspicuously marked with pale purple bands. Stems pubescent. h. 6in. to 12in. Madagascar. Herb. (B. M. 5511.)