中文名（Chinese Name）：观音草
学名（Scientific Name）：Peristrophe bivalvis (L.) Merr.
英文名（English Common Name）：
别名（Chinese Common Name）：
异名（Synonym）：Peristrophe baphica (Spreng) Bremek.  Hypoestes bodinieri H. Lév.  Peristrophe roxburghiana (Schult.) Bremek.  Justicia tinctoria Roxb.  Peristrophe tinctoria (Roxb.) Nees  Justicia baphica Spreng.  Dicliptera bivalvis (L.) Juss.
科属（Family & Genus）：爵床科（Acanthaceae）观音草属
形态特征（Description）：多年生，直立草本，高可达1米；枝多数，交互对生，具5-6钝棱和同数的纵沟，小枝被褐红色柔毛，老枝具淡褐色皮孔。叶卵形或有时披针状卵形，顶端短渐尖至急尖，基部阔楔尖或近圆，全缘，长3-5 (7.5)厘米，宽1.5-2 (3)厘米，纸质，干时黑紫色，嫩叶两面被褐红色柔毛，老时上面渐无毛；侧脉每边5-6条；叶柄长约5毫米。聚伞花序，由2或3个头状花序组成，腋生或顶生；总花梗长3-5毫米，后被柔毛；总苞片2-4枚，阔卵形，卵形或椭圆形，不等大，大的长（1.8) -2.3-2.5厘米，宽8-15毫米，小的2-3厘米，顶端急尖，基部楔形，干时黑紫色或稍透明，有脉纹，被柔毛；花萼小，长4.5-5毫米，裂片披针形，被柔毛；花冠粉红色，长3-3.5（-5)厘米，被倒生短柔毛，冠管直，宽约1.5毫米，喉部稍内弯，上唇阔卵状椭圆形，顶端微缺，下唇长圆形，浅3裂；雄蕊伸出，花丝被柔毛，药室线形，下方的1室较小；花柱无毛，柱头2裂。蒴果未见，（据文献记载）长约1.5厘米，被柔毛。花期冬春。
分布（Distribution）：产海南、广东、广西、湖南、湖北、福建、江西、江苏、上海、贵州、云南也产。除黔滇外，生于海拔500-1000米林下。印度、斯里兰卡、中南半岛、马来西亚到新几内亚岛也有分布。
用途（Use）：通常做染料。
引自中国植物志英文版：FOC Vol. 19 Page 464, 465
Peristrophe bivalvis (Linnaeus) Merrill, Interpr. Herb. Amboin. 476. 1917.
观音草 guan yin cao  | Acanthaceae  | Peristrophe
Justicia bivalvis Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 2: 850. 1759; Hypoestes bodinieri H. Léveillé; J. baphica Sprengel; J. roxburghiana Roemer & Schultes; J. tinctoria Roxburgh; Peristrophe baphica (Sprengel) Bremekamp; P. roxburghiana (Roemer & Schultes) Bremekamp; P. tinctoria (Roxburgh) Nees.
Herbs to 1 m tall, perennial. Stems 5- or 6-angled, much branched, sulcate, pubescent. Petiole to 3.5 cm; leaf blade ovate to lanceolate-ovate, 3-14.5 × 1.5-5.3 cm, both surfaces puberulent (especially along midvein) or becoming subglabrescent, secondary veins 5 or 6 on each side of midvein, base broadly cuneate to subrounded, margin entire to sinuate, apex acuminate to acute. Cymes axillary or terminal, pedunculate, often consisting of 1-3(or more) pedunculate involucres terminating branches; peduncle 0.3-2.3 cm; outer involucral bracteoles broadly ovate, ovate, or elliptic, unequal in size, puberulent to subglabrous, base rounded to cuneate, apex acute; larger outer involucral bracteole (1.8-)2.3-3.3 × 0.8-1.5 cm; smaller outer involucral bracteole 0.71-0.85 × as long as larger one; inner cymule bracteoles triangular-subulate, 1-2 mm. Calyx 4.5-5 mm, pubescent; lobes lanceolate. Corolla pink, 3.5-5.7 cm, outside pubescent with non-glandular trichomes; tube ca. 1.5 mm in diam.; lip in lower position broadly ovate-elliptic, 2.2-2.6 × ca. 1.8 cm, apex emarginate; lip in upper position oblong, 2-2.5 × ca. 0.9 cm, 3-lobed. Staminal filaments ca. 1.3 cm, puberulent; anther thecae linear, subequally to unequally inserted (overlapping for most of their length), 3.2-4 mm. Ovary pubescent; style glabrous; stigma 2-cleft. Capsule ca. 1.5 cm, pubescent. Seeds ca. 1.5 × 1.5 mm. Fl. Aug-Mar.
（责任编辑：徐晔春）