Pseuderanthemum variabile (R.Br.) Radlk.

Radlkofer, L.A.T. (1884) Sitzungsberichte der mathematisch-physikalischen Classe der k. b. Akademie der Wissenschaften zu München 13: 287.

Love Flower; Pastel Flower

Herb 15-100 cm tall. Stems clothed in pale hairs.

Petioles 5-20 mm long. Leaf blades 23-50 x 9-22 mm, usually mottled green and grey on the upper surface and deep red to maroon on the lower surface. Veins and sometimes parts of the leaf blade clothed in small pale hairs. Lateral veins 3-6 on each side of the midrib.

Flowers about 16-17 mm diam. Calyx about 4-5 mm long, the lobes linear to narrowly triangular, clothed in glandular hairs. Corolla tube about 12-16 x 1-1.5 mm, outer surface clothed in hairs and also the inner surface towards the base. Lobes dimorphic, the two smaller about 7 x 4 mm while the largest is about 10 x 6 mm and red or purple spotted on the inner surface. Anthers about 1.5 mm long, filaments about 2 mm long, attached to the throat of the corolla. Pollen white. Ovary about 1.5-2 mm long. Style about 10-15 mm long. Stigma bifid. Ovules 2 per locule.

Cotyledons almost orbicular, about 5-6 mm diam. First pair of leaves opposite, ovate or elliptic, sparsely hairy. At the tenth leaf stage: leaves +/- lanceolate, apex acute, base attenuate, petiole long and slender. Leaf blades sparsely clothed in short hairs. Roots rather thick, pale coloured. Seed germination time 16 days.

Widespread, occurs in NT, CYP, NEQ and CEQ and southwards to south eastern Australia. It also occurs into New Guinea and New Caledonia. Grows in woodland, open forest, deciduous vine thicket and forest, rainforest on rocky granitic or quartzitic soils.