Codonacanthus pauciflorus is a species of perennial or subshrub of the plant family Acanthaceae. It occurs in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and South and Southeast Asia.
This species is a perennial, erect herb growing 20âÂÂ60 cm tall with many branches and quadrangular, lightly hairy stems. The leaves are thin, elliptic to lanceolate (5âÂÂ12 cm long) with smooth or slightly wavy margins, green above and paler beneath. The inflorescences are simple racemes or small terminal panicles (3âÂÂ10 cm) with small, widely spaced flowers. The flowers have a white, bell-shaped corolla (8âÂÂ10 mm long) and two included stamens. The fruit is an oblanceolate capsule about 1.5 cm long, containing 2âÂÂ4 small, round seeds.
The species flowers and fruits from October to January.
It occurs in mainland China (Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan, Fujian), Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and South and Southeast Asia, including Bhutan, India, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand. It grows mainly in subtropical regions, inhabiting forests and wet ravines.