Evergreen subshrub to about 1 m tall. Leaves ovate, to 5 cm long, softly hairy, dark green with pink (generally predominant) to pale lilac spotting. Flowers solitary, lilac, small and insignificant. [H. sanguinolenta hort.]

Madagascar

May be grown from seed as a frost-tender annual under a range of cultivar and promotional names. Colour and arrangement of spots is variable.

It has naturalised locally in Queensland.

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Acanthaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.