blue gem
Craterostigma plantagineum Hochst.
Craterostigma plantagineum is a desiccation-tolerant plant species in the Linderniaceae family. It is commonly known as blue gem and is native to parts of Africa and India. This species is noted for its ability to survive extreme dehydration and is often found forming a ground-covering carpet with blue and purple flowers.
Description
Craterostigma plantagineum, described by Hochst. in 1841, is a member of the Linderniaceae family. It is a small, ground-hugging plant that produces blue and purple blooms. The species is distributed across several regions including Angola, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Known as a resurrection plant, it exhibits a high tolerance to dehydration and is well-studied for its survival mechanisms under desiccation.
Other common names
blue gem
Distribution
IN · Angola · Botswana · Burkina · Burundi · Chad · Eritrea · Ethiopia · India · Kenya · KwaZulu-Natal · Namibia · Niger · Northern Provinces · Rwanda · Saudi Arabia · Somalia · Sudan · Tanzania · Uganda · Yemen · Zambia · Zaïre · Zimbabwe
Synonyms
Torenia plantaginea
