Common Name: Fringed spider flower. Tamil Name: Nila veli
Fringed spider flower is a herb native to the African tropics and grows to a height of about 1-1.5 feet. The plant can be seen around road-sides in Tamilnadu. The stem is squarish, ribbed and has some scattered white hairs. The leaves are arranged in an alternate manner; leaves are trifoliate and leaf margin is hairy. The leaf stalk measurers around 3.3 cm; the leaf stalk has scattered hairs present which are prickly. The side-leaves are sessile. The central leaf of the trifoliate structures measure around 3.2 cm; the side leaves are smaller and measure around 2.7 cm. The leaves are diamond shaped; the side leaves are slightly unequal in shape. The leaf base is cuneate and tip acute. The flowers are singular and axillary; the flower petals are blue in color. The flower stalk measure around 2.9 cm. The flower consists of four blue petals, each measure around 8-9 mm. The calyx measure around 2 mm and has four sepal elements. The flower consists of 6 stamens and a gynophore. The fruit is in the form of a capsule. The fruit capsule stalk measure around 2.5 cm. The fruit measurers around 4.2 cm; thin cylindrical and slightly curved. The capsule contains several tiny seeds which are reniform in shape. Fringed spider flower is the larval host plant for Common Albatross, Western Striped Albatross, Eastern Striped Albatross and Psyche butterflies (source:ifoundbutterflies.org)
