Strobilanthes auriculata var. dyeriana (Mast.) J.R.I.Wood

Persian shield (Strobilanthes auriculata var. dyeriana) is a shrub 0.9-1.2 meters tall from the Acanthaceae family native to Myanmar and Thailand, distributed as far as Pakistan and China. Its beautiful purplish leaf color makes it a popular tropical ornamental. Persian shield is traditionally believed to be diuretic and helps relieve rheumatism.

Persian shield prefers fertile soil, rich in organic matter, well-drained, with a pH range of 5.5-7.5. Requires full sun to partial shade, temperature of 15°C, high humidity. Keep the soil moist, water when the top layer of soil is dry.

• Roots taproot, brown.
• Stem soft, square-shaped on the surface, woody, purplish green.
• Leaves variegated in color, dark green with pink or dark purple spots above when young, becoming whitish on older leaves, elliptic, 12-30 cm long, tapering and usually with a sessile auriculate base, margin serrate, apex tapering, upper surface sparsely hairy.
• Flowers purple, funnel-shaped with 5 lobes arranged in a short, cone-like inflorescence.
• Fruit a capsule, round, enclosed by a light brown calyx.
• Seeds kidney-shaped, small, about 1 mm in diameter, brown.

Easily propagated from seed or cuttings, but cuttings work best. For cuttings, choose a stem 16 cm long and remove all leaves except the topmost. Place the cut end into a glass of water or your preferred moist rooting medium. If using water, change the water daily. In a rooting medium, keep it evenly moist. Place your plant in a shaded location where it still gets indirect light, and ensure humidity is maintained around the plant (a plastic bag placed over it can help with this). This will develop roots within 2-5 weeks depending on the vigor of the plant and the season.

Saponins, polyphenols, and flavonoids.

Diuretic and a remedy for rheumatism.

• Prepare Persian shield leaves, wash clean with running water then drain.
• Dry under the sun or with an oven at 40°C until the moisture content reaches 10%.
• Grind using a blender until it becomes powder, then sift with a 60 mesh sieve.
• Store in a clean, airtight container.

Information not found. Further research is needed.