Acanthaceae

Mottled toothedthread

Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees) Kuntze

Family: Acanthaceae
Genus: Odontonema

Pet and kid safety: not checked yet. Check pet-safe plants

Mottled toothedthread: Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees) Lorence et al. (1995) flowers; growing in upper Makiki Valley, O‘ahu—photographed by Eric Guinther. — Photo: Marshman at English Wikipedia / Eric Guinther, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons

Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free

Common names

By language (1)

English: Mottled toothedthread

Synonyms

Aphelandra longiscapa Lem.
Eranthemum coccineum Lem.
Justicia longiracemosa Lem.
Thyrsacanthus cuspidatus Nees
Thyrsacanthus lemaireanus Nees
Thyrsacanthus lemairianus Nees

Characteristics

Growth habit: Forb/herb, Subshrub
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, Puerto Rico: introduced

Photos

Photo: Marshman at English Wikipedia / Eric Guinther, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Apriadi ap, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Yercaud-elango, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Yercaud-elango, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Yercaud-elango, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Odontonema

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.