Polka Dot Plant
Hypoestes phyllostachya
- Found in India
- Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & more
How to identify Polka Dot Plant
Identify Polka Dot Plant by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Leaves speckled with pink/white spots (polka dot plant).
- Confirm leaf arrangement: Opposite.
- Confirm leaf surface: Pubescent (softly hairy).
- Confirm flower colour: Pink.
- Confirm flower arrangement: Solitary.
- In India, compare location records such as Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Acanthaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Polka Dot Plant.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Hypoestes phyllostachya
- Genus
- Hypoestes
- Family
- Acanthaceae
- Found in India
- Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Assam, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- OppositerecordedTwo leaves arise from the stem at the same point, facing each other.“The leaves are opposite, oval and pointed.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- Pubescent (softly hairy)recorded
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Polka Dot Plant itself; the rest are typical of the Acanthaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Pinkrecorded
- Flower arrangement
- SolitaryrecordedA single flower borne alone, not in a cluster.“It may produce small, solitary pink/purple flowers at the nodes that resemble honeysuckle.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fruit type
- CapsulerecordedA dry fruit from a fused ovary that splits open at maturity to release seeds.“The fruit is a many-seeded dehiscent capsule.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Spike
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Polka Dot Plant itself; the rest are typical of the Acanthaceae family — flowering plants only.
About Polka Dot Plant
Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya) belongs to the Acanthaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and 9 other states.
Uses
It is planted as an ornamental.
Acanthaceae
Acanthus family
Polka Dot Plant belongs to the Acanthaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Acanthaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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