Odontonema cuspidatum

Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees) Kuntze

Common Names: Fire Spike, Cardinal's Guard, Mottled Tooth Thread

Family: Acanthaceae

Habit: Odontonema cuspidatum grows as an herb to shrub up to 3 m in height (usually shorter) with quadrangular stems. The sessile to petiolate leaves are arranged oppositely, each up to 30 cm in length and 10 cm wide, elliptic to oblong with a slightly reflexed cuspidate leaf apex and entire margin.

The complete, perfect, zygomorphic flowers are arranged in tight terminal panicles/spikes/racemes. The calyx has 5, reddish, fused to midway, sepals. The corolla has 5, fused into a tube, dark red/scarlet-crimson to orange petals. There are 2 stamens and 2 staminodia, fused to the corolla tube.  The superior ovary has 2 locules and numerous ovules. The fruit is a capsule at maturity.

Habitat: Odontonema cuspidatum grows in the Lucayan Archipelago in Human Altered environments (yards and gardens).

Distribution: Odontonema cuspidatum is not native to the Lucayan Archipelago.  It is native to Mexico but has been grown globally as an ornamental.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Odontonema cuspidatum is not known to be used medicinally in the Bahamas.

It is grown as an ornamental.