Ruellia is a genus of flowering plants commonly known as ruellias or wild petunias. They are not closely related to petunias (Petunia) although both genera belong to the same euasterid clade. The genus was named in honor of Jean Ruelle (1474–1537), herbalist and physician to Francis I of France and translator of several works of Dioscorides.
Anartia jatrophae, the white peacock, is a species of butterfly found in the southeastern United States, Central America, and throughout much of South America. The white peacock's larval hosts are water hyssop, lemon bacopa, tropical waterhyssop, frogfruit, lanceleaf frogfruit, and Carolina wild petunia . The males of the species display a unique territorial behavior, in which they stake out a territory typically 15 meters in diameter that contains larval host plants. They perch in this area and aggressively protect it from other insects and other male white peacocks.
Ruellia verbasciformis is a species of flowering plant native to the Cerrado vegetation of Brazil. It is endemic to west-central Brazil. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.
Ruellia brevifolia, the tropical wild petunia or red Christmas pride, is an ornamental plant in the family Acanthaceae. It is native to South America, from Colombia to southern Brazil and northern Argentina.
Ruellia simplex, the Mexican petunia, Mexican bluebell or Britton's wild petunia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Acanthaceae. It is a native of Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America. It has become a widespread invasive plant in Florida, where it was likely introduced as an ornamental before 1933, as well as in the eastern Mediterranean, South Asia and other parts of the eastern hemisphere.
Ruellia densa is a species of flowering plant in the family Acanthaceae. It is a native to the Cerrado region of central Brazil.
Ruellia brevicaulis is a species of flowering plant native to Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. It is native to the Cerrado vegetation of Brazil.
Ruellia asperula is a medicinal plant native to eastern Brazil and growing in Caatinga vegetation and Cerrado vegetation. Flowers, leaves, and roots of this plant are usually macerated and used to treat asthma, bronchitis, fever, flu, and uteral inflammation.
Ruellia multifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Acanthaceae. It is a perennial or subshrub native to west-central, southern, and southeastern Brazil, northeastern Argentina, and Paraguay.
Ruellia geminiflora, known locally as ipecacuanha-da-flor-roxa, is a species native to Argentina; Brazil, typically Caatinga and Cerrado vegetation; Guianas, and Venezuela. The roots of this plant contains possibly toxic substances.
Ruellia villosa is a species of flowering plant native to the Cerrado ecoregion of central and eastern Brazil. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.
Ruellia trachyphylla is a plant native to the Cerrado vegetation and it is found in the West-Central of Brazil.
Ruellia incomta is a species of flowering plant native to the Cerrado ecoregion of central Brazil.
Ruellia menthoides is a species of flowering plant native to northern, eastern, and central Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and Venezuela. In Brazil it grows in the Cerrado ecoregion. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.
Ruellia dissitifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Acanthaceae. It is native to the Cerrado ecoregion of Brazil.
Ruellia nitens is a species of flowering plant native to the Cerrado vegetation of central and northeastern Brazil. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.
Ruellia rufipila is a species of flowering plant native west-central Brazil, where it grows in the Cerrado ecoregion.
Ruellia macrantha, or Christmas pride, is a species of flowering plant native to the cerrado vegetation of Brazil. It is often used as an ornamental plant. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.
Ruellia tuberosa, also known as minnieroot, fever root, snapdragon root and sheep potato, is a species of flowering plant in the family Acanthaceae. Its native range is in Central America but it has become naturalized in Africa, South and Southeast Asia.
Ruellia affinis, also known as red ruellia or wild petunia, is a vine native to Brazil, which is usually used as an ornamental plant.
