Firespike
Odontonema strictum
Also known as Cardinal Guard, Scarlet Flame
- Habit
- Shrub
- Native to
- Central America
- Flowering
- September-February
How to identify Firespike
Identify Firespike by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a shrub habit.
- Confirm leaf surface: Glabrous (smooth, hairless).
- Confirm flower colour: Red.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: September-February.
- Confirm it sits within the Acanthaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Firespike.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Odontonema strictum
- Genus
- Odontonema
- Family
- Acanthaceae
- Habit
- Shrub
- Native to
- Central America
- Flowering & fruiting
- September-February
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf surface
- Glabrous (smooth, hairless)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Opposite
Characters marked “recorded” are for Firespike itself; the rest are typical of the Acanthaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Redrecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Spike
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Firespike itself; the rest are typical of the Acanthaceae family — flowering plants only.
About Firespike
Firespike (Odontonema strictum) belongs to the Acanthaceae family, where it grows as a shrub. It is native to Central America. Flowering and fruiting run from September to February.
Acanthaceae
Acanthus family
Firespike 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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