Papleaf
Phaulopsis imbricata
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh & more
- Flowering
- November-March
How to identify Papleaf
Identify Papleaf by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a herb habit.
- Confirm leaf arrangement: Opposite.
- Confirm leaf surface: Pubescent (softly hairy).
- Confirm flower colour: White.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: November-March.
- In India, compare location records such as Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal.
- Confirm it sits within the Acanthaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Papleaf.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Phaulopsis imbricata
- Genus
- Phaulopsis
- Family
- Acanthaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Semi-evergreen and deciduous forests, also in plains
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- Africa
- Distribution
- Tropical Africa, India, Indo-China, West China
- Found in India
- Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal
- Flowering & fruiting
- November-March
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (LC)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- OppositerecordedTwo leaves arise from the stem at the same point, facing each other.“Leaves are opposite, one larger than the other in each pair, usually asymmetrical at the base.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- Pubescent (softly hairy)recorded
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Papleaf itself; the rest are typical of the Acanthaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Whiterecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Spike
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Papleaf itself; the rest are typical of the Acanthaceae family — flowering plants only.
About Papleaf
Papleaf (Phaulopsis imbricata) belongs to the Acanthaceae family, where it grows as a herb. In India it has been recorded in Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and 1 other states. It grows in semi-evergreen and deciduous forests, also in plains. Flowering and fruiting run from November to March.
Acanthaceae
Acanthus family
Papleaf 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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