Torenia bicolor
| Torenia bicolor | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Linderniaceae |
| Genus: | Torenia |
| Species: | T. bicolor
|
| Binomial name | |
| Torenia bicolor Dalzell
| |
Torenia bicolor, the two-color wishbone flower, is an annual herb found in the western and southern India as well as the Andaman Islands,[1] where it grows mainly in moist and waterlogged areas. The plant has slender, four-sided stems with small hairs near the nodes. Leaves are small (1.5–3.5 cm long), triangular to oval in shape, with toothed edges and a pointed tip, and are carried on short stalks.[2]
Flowering and fruiting
Flowers grow singly or in pairs from the leaf axils, on stalks up to 3 cm long. They are about 2–2.5 cm in length, with a yellowish tube and deep purple lobes. The calyx is green and ridged, partly forming wing-like extensions. The plant has four stamens joined in pairs at the tips, creating a wishbone-like structure, which gives rise to the common name “Wishbone Flower.” It flowers throughout the year.[3]
The fruit is a small, oblong capsule, about 1–1.5 cm long, containing round, rough-textured seeds.
Uses
Torenia bicolor is widely regarded as a model plant in ornamental and transgenic research.[4]
References
- ^ "Torenia bicolor Dalzell | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
- ^ "Torenia bicolor - Two-Color Wishbone Flower". www.flowersofindia.net. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
- ^ Joshi, Vaishali C.; Janarthanam, M. K. (2004-07-16). "The diversity of life‐form type, habitat preference and phenology of the endemics in the Goa region of the Western Ghats, India". Journal of Biogeography. 31 (8): 1227–1237. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2699.2004.01067.x. ISSN 0305-0270.
- ^ Amitha, M. S.; Harshid, P.; Rajasekharan, P E; Pradeep, N. S. (2025), "Pollen Cryopreservation of Torenia bicolor Dalzell", Springer Protocols Handbooks, New York, NY: Springer US, pp. 577–586, ISBN 978-1-0716-4685-4, retrieved 2025-09-16