WHITE SHRIMP PLANT

MEDICINAL USES: Root, leaves, and flowers.  “Used in the treatment of various gastrointestinal complaints.” [6]  Analgesic, anti-Inflammatory, antimalarial, febrifuge.  “Constipation, malaria, orchitis [inflammation of one or both of the testicles], pain, snake bite, stomach ache, swelling, vomiting.” [3]  “The Indians make use of the plant in the treatment of diarrhea and in Kenya they use the leaves and flower ash for it.” [8/12]  globinmed.com lists it as having no documented toxicity. "The Sukuma of Tanganyika, prepare an ointment from the plant-ash in butter to treat scaly skin." [15] "An infusion is prepared from the leaves and offered as a drink in Kenya for snake-bite." [15]
- MEDICINAL INFLORESCENCES: —"To treat vomiting and constipation the Indians used the inflorescence given orally." [12]
- MEDICINAL LEAVES: "A poultice made from the leaves is used to treat to boils in Ceylon, and to swellings in Malaya. Leaves are also prepared and mixed in Ceylon for diarrhea." [15] 
- EXTERNAL MEDICINAL USES: “The Indian and Sri Lankan community apply a poultice made from crushed leaves of the plant over abscesses to provide relief of pain and swelling.”  [8/9] The [Asian] Indians use the inflorescence as a hair wash. [10]
- VETERINARY USES: "Leaves are boiled to a soup by cattle-folk in Uganda to cows-in-milk to drink as galactagogue (agent that promotes milk flow)." [15]
CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS: —Beta Sitosterol, Lupeol. [3]
WILDLIFE: The flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies. 
CUT FLOWER: Used in arrangements as a cut flower. 

NATIVE TO: India. Tropical Asia.
HABITAT: “Moist deciduous forests and wastelands.” [1]
DESCRIPTION: A small evergreen shrub or bush.
- HEIGHT: 2-6' tall.
- STEMS: Procumbent, with swollen nodes.
- LEAVES: Opposite, small.
- INFLORESCENCE: Inflorescences consist of green-striped cream to pale green (sometimes with a tinge of pink) bracts, upright, compact, with flowers aging from white to violet; corolla two-lipped, mauve, with a white spot on the lower lip. [15]
- FRUIT: Fruits are 2 lobed capsules. [15]
ETYMOLOGY: Betonica means betony like. "The genus epithet 'Justicia' was named after James Justice, a horticulturalist from Scotland (1730-1763)." [15]
CULTURE:
- COLD HARDINESS: USDA zones 9-11, often killed to the ground in zone 8, but should resprout from the roots.
- LIGHT:  Sun to part sun.
- WATER: Moderate needs. [15]