Family: Acanthaceae
                                    
                                    
				
                                    
Group: Dicot
                                    
                                    
				
                                    
Substrate:
					
                                   Terrestrial
					
                                    
                                    
				
                                    
Habit:
					
                                    Herb
					 
                                    
                                    
				
                                    
Perennation:
					
                                   Perennial
					
                                    
                                    
				
                                    
Native Range: Native to the Old World (southern Africa); widely cultivated and naturalized.
                                    
                                    
				
                                     
Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida
                                    
				
                                    SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence:
				  
                                    Present
			      
                                    
                                    
		    
                                    
SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status:
					
                                    Not Native, Naturalized
	            	
                                    
                                    
				
                                    
South Florida History and Distribution: Cultivated in South Florida and first vouchered as naturalized in 2015 in the Monroe County Keys, then Broward (2018), Miami-Dade (2019), and Palm Beach (2022) counties. It readily roots from the nodes and is difficult to eradicate once established.It is invasive in Hawaii, Australia and elsewhere. IRC considers this an emerging invasive in South Florida.
                                    
                                    
				
                                    
SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status:
					
                                    Cultivated
					
                                    
                                    
	            
          
            FLORIDA KEYS Occurrence:
          
				  
						Presumed Extirpated
			      
				  
				  
		      
            
FLORIDA KEYS Native Status:
					
            			Not Native, Naturalized
	            	
					
					
				
              
IRC FLORIDA KEYS Status:
					
						Possibly Extirpated
					
					
					
                                   
				
                                      
Map of select IRC data for the Florida Keys
                                    
				
          Florida Keys History and Distribution: