Family: Gesneriaceae
Common name: Small-flowered tongue lip, Small Flowered Rhynchoglossum, Kalu thali
Small-flowered tongue lip is a wildflower seen in multiple places in India, noticeable for its dark blue two-lipped flowers and asymmetrical leaves. They are not very commonly seen in the wild, but are restricted to undisturbed areas.
Plant Characteristics
Small-flowered tongue lip plants grow to a height of 30-50 cm with a purple-red tinted stem that is well-branched. They are sometimes found in rocky, laterite terrain with very little soil to get a foothold. Hence these plants usually do not grow very tall, the leaves and flowers hugging the ground.
Roots are shallow but spread wide to help the plant cling to rocky surfaces. These are annual plants that grow and flower quickly, producing seeds and then dying all in a short period of time.
Leaves of the Small-flowered tongue lip are quite unique, lance-shaped, or elliptical with an uneven base that makes the leaf curved like a sickle.
They are 5-10 cm long with a slightly wavy margin, dark green in color. Their uneven base which is heart-shaped on one side and relatively straight on the other, is a distinguishing feature of this plant.
Small-flowered tongue lip flowers give the plant its name since they have a prominent tongue-like lip. They are double-lipped, the upper lip smaller and two-lobed. The lower lip looks more like a tongue, larger with three lobes. Petals are light blue, deep blue, or purple in color, a stark contrast to the bright green leaves.
Flowers are produced in cymes like Orchids or Gladiolus with a central stem producing flowers to a side, the lower ones opening first while the top of the cyme still has small, unopened flower buds.
These brightly colored flowers attract and provide nectar to bees, butterflies, and small insects in the wild.
Though these plants produce small capsule-like fruits that are 3-4 mm in diameter, they are not very common, and hence the plant does not spread proliferously.
Growing Tips
Though the Small-flowered Tongue Lip plants have beautiful, bright blue flowers, they are not commonly grown in gardens because of their small size.
They prefer good sunlight, but can grow happily in the shade of large trees, with filtered sunlight.
Since these are wild plants or weeds, they do not need regular watering. They can grow on rocky hillsides with very little soil, absorbing moisture from the moss and small crevices in the laterite stones.
They do not need fertilization, pruning, or pesticide application in their natural habitat, growing and producing flowers in undisturbed areas. Small-flowered tongue lip plants are commonly seen in tropical and subtropical countries with warm, moist, humid weather.
Uses of Small-flowered tongue lips
These are wild plants or weeds that do not have any proven medicinal or commercial value. They provide shelter and food for insects and small animals that feed on the nectar, buds, and fruits of the plant.
Since these plants can grow in very little soil, they can grow on hillsides or cliffs, one of the very few plants that can grow in these conditions. Their fibrous roots can prevent precious soil from washing away on these slopy areas.
Propagation
Propagation is through seeds and stem cuttings.
Dried seeds collected from parent plants can be dried and sowed in moist, well-draining soil. Small healthy stem cuttings with nodes can root well in soil.
Photographed at: Athirampuzha, Thrissur
