Wishbone Flower
Torenia fournieri
Also known as Ladys Slipper, Blue Wing
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Kerala, Assam, Uttarakhand & more
- Flowering
- Throughout the year
How to identify Wishbone Flower
Identify Wishbone Flower 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.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Blue-purple flowers with yellow throat, popular bedding plant (wishbone flower).
- Confirm leaf arrangement: Opposite.
- Confirm leaf type: Simple.
- Confirm flower colour: Blue/purple.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: Throughout the year.
- In India, compare location records such as Kerala, Assam, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and nearby regions.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Torenia fournieri
- Genus
- Torenia
- Family
- Scrophulariaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Grown as garden plant
- Habitat type
- Cultivated
- Native to
- Indo-China
- Found in India
- Kerala, Assam, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Odisha, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Telangana, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram
- Flowering & fruiting
- Throughout the year
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- OppositerecordedTwo leaves arise from the stem at the same point, facing each other.“It has simple opposite or subopposite leaves with serrated edges.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf type
- SimplerecordedA single, undivided leaf blade.“It has simple opposite or subopposite leaves with serrated edges.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf margin
- ToothedrecordedA saw-like or jagged edge (serrate or dentate).“It has simple opposite or subopposite leaves with serrated edges.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Wishbone Flower itself; the rest are typical of the Scrophulariaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Blue/purplerecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Raceme
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Wishbone Flower itself; the rest are typical of the Scrophulariaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Malayalam
- ടൊറീനിയ ഫോർണിയേരി
Wishbone Flower in India
Wishbone flower is a small garden herb recorded by SASYA from Kerala, Assam, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Odisha, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and other states. In Malayalam it is recorded as ടൊറീനിയ ഫോർണിയേരി. Garden searches often describe it as a small purple, blue or violet flower with a yellow throat.
Uses
It is mainly grown as an ornamental bedding or pot plant for shaded, moist garden spots.
How to Identify Wishbone Flower
Identify Torenia fournieri by its low herb habit, opposite leaves, and small two-lipped flowers that are usually blue, purple or violet with a contrasting yellow throat. The 'wishbone' name comes from the paired stamens inside the flower. It can be confused with small snapdragon-like ornamentals, but the yellow throat and compact Torenia flower shape are good field clues.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I identify Torenia fournieri?
- Look for a low herb with opposite leaves and small blue-purple, two-lipped flowers with a yellow throat. It is commonly grown as a garden plant.
- Why is Torenia called wishbone flower?
- The name refers to the paired stamens inside the flower, which resemble a tiny wishbone.
- Is Torenia fournieri a wild plant in India?
- It is most often encountered as a garden ornamental, though records exist from several Indian states.
Scrophulariaceae
Figwort family
Wishbone Flower belongs to the Scrophulariaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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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.
All plant problem & care guidesMore in Scrophulariaceae
View all ScrophulariaceaeSources: GBIF — Torenia fournieri (CC BY 4.0) · iNaturalist — Torenia fournieri (CC BY 4.0)