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Scientific Name
Family
Common Names
Origin
Naturalised Distribution
Notes
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Click on images to enlarge

infestation (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

habit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

habit (Photo: Chris Gardiner)

hairy stems (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

leaves (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

flowers (Photo: Chris Gardiner)

close-up of flower (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

immature fruit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

immature and mature fruit (Photo: Chris Gardiner)

mature fruit that has released its seeds (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

seedling (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

young plant (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

Ruellia tuberosa

Scientific Name

Ruellia tuberosa L.

Family

Acanthaceae

Common Names

bluebell, Daniel's great gun, iron root, large bell-flower, minne root, minnieroot, popping pod, popping seed, ruellia, sheep potato, snapdragon root, spearpod

Origin

The exact native range of this species is obscure, but it is thought to be native to the Caribbean and tropical South America (i.e. French Guiana, Guyana, Surinam, Venezuela, Colombia and Peru).

Naturalised Distribution

Naturalised in many parts of northern Australia (i.e. in northern and central Queensland, the northern parts of the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia).

Also widely naturalised in other tropical regions of the world, including on some Pacific islands (e.g. New Caledonia and Palau).

Notes

Minnieroot (Ruellia tuberosa) is regarded as an environmental weed in northern Queensland and the Northern Territory.