Heterotis rotundifolia
Heterotis rotundifolia, commonly called pink lady, Spanish shawl, or rockrose, is a shrub in the family Melastomataceae that occurs in tropical Africa.
Description
Heterotis rotundifolia can grow in a variety of ways, from straight up and erect to lying flat and prostrate to decumbent, meaning the branches lie flat on the ground but turn up at the ends. When the stems trail, they root where the leaf connects to the stem, called the "node". The stems are woody on lower parts of the plant and become hirsute, meaning hairy, towards the top of the plant. The branches tend to spread wide, and range from pink to a dark reddish in color.The leaves are oval shaped and three-ribbed, being long and wide. They are covered with short, appressed hairs on both sides. The stalks of the leaves are as long as, pilose, and pink.
The flowers of Heterotis rotundifolia are solitary, and the stalks of the flowers, like the leaves, are covered with tiny appressed hairs. The petals of the flower are in length and range from pink to a pale purple in color.