Akra / Hop Coneflower
Nilgirianthus lupulinus
- Habit
- Undershrub
- Native to
- India
- Flowering
- October-March
How to identify Akra
Identify Akra by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a undershrub habit.
- Confirm leaf surface: Pubescent (softly hairy).
- Confirm flower colour: Purple.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: October-March.
- Confirm it sits within the Acanthaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Akra.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Nilgirianthus lupulinus
- Genus
- Nilgirianthus
- Family
- Acanthaceae
- Habit
- Undershrub
- Native to
- India
- Flowering & fruiting
- October-March
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf surface
- Pubescent (softly hairy)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Opposite
Characters marked “recorded” are for Akra itself; the rest are typical of the Acanthaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- PurplerecordedPurple or violet
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Spike
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Akra itself; the rest are typical of the Acanthaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Kannada
- ಕರುಙಕುರಿಂಜಿ Karunkurinji
- Konkani
- अकरा Akra
- Malayalam
- കരിങ്കുറിഞ്ഞി Karinkurinji
- Marathi
- अकरा Akra
- Tamil
- கருங்குறிஞ்சி Karunkurinji
About Akra
Hop Coneflower (Nilgirianthus lupulinus) belongs to the Acanthaceae family, where it grows as a low shrub. It is native to India. Flowering and fruiting run from October to March.
Acanthaceae
Acanthus family
Akra 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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