Justicia carnea Lindl.

Bunga air mancur (Justicia carnea) is a shrub 1.5-2 meters tall from the Acanthaceae family that originates from Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, now widely cultivated in West and Central Africa especially Nigeria. Its bright red flowers make it a favorite ornamental, while its leaves are eaten as a vitamin-rich soup vegetable by Nigerian communities. Bunga air mancur is traditionally believed to be a blood booster and has antianemic properties.

Justicia carnea can be found growing at elevations of 1,950-2,100 m asl. Its growth prefers shaded or partially shaded environmental conditions. This species grows well in loamy soil, and requires moist soil, with a slightly acidic or neutral soil acidity (pH), well-drained, rich in organic matter, and regular watering. This species is not resistant to frost or cold temperatures.

• Roots taproot, brown.
• Stem upright, branched, bluntly square, densely short-hairy when young.
• Leaves single, oppositely crossed, dark green, ovate-oblong shape, narrowing toward the petiole, tip tapering, smooth leaf margin, finely short-hairy (pubescent) on the underside, pinnate venation, leaf veins clearly visible, petiole somewhat long.
• Flowers compound, tubular, has a pink corolla, about 6.5-7 cm long, the outer part with ordinary hairs and scattered short glands, bilabiate for roughly half its length, the inside slightly above the base densely glandular-hairy, on the more upper part sparsely hairy to smooth/hairless, the lobe on the lower lip (lip) rounded. Upper petal upright and bent at the tip above the anther, lower petal bent at right angles and curved. Stamens (numbering 2), ovary, and style smooth/hairless. Stipule leaves (bract and bracteole) linear-lanceolate, very pointed. Inflorescence terminal, large, composed of many pink flowers, panicle sessile or short-stalked.
• Fruit a capsule containing up to four seeds, but this plant rarely fruits in cultivation.
• Seeds round, small, dirty white.

• Vegetative propagation (stem cuttings). Select healthy shoots from the top of the plant, 20-30 cm long and cut at the base. Remove leaves from the lower part of the stem, leaving only the top two, and dip into rooting hormone powder to encourage root formation, then plant the cut end in a polybag. Once the stem has rooted and new leaves appear, transfer the cutting to soil.
• Pruning is needed to maintain and stimulate flowering.

Flavonoid, tannin, saponin, alkaloid, phenol, terpenoid, and glycoside.

Treats anemia, inflammation, cancer, malaria, sickle cell disease, gastrointestinal infections, menstrual pain, HIV, diabetes, diarrhea, typhoid, epilepsy, bronchitis, respiratory tract diseases, fever, hepatitis, cough, arthritis, rheumatism, sedative remedy. Has antioxidant, antianemic, anticancer, antitumor, antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, analgesic, hepatoprotective agent, hypolipidemic activity.

Bunga Flamingo, Bunga Jacobinia.