Plants erect, perennial herbs 30-60 cm tall or more, sometimes with a woody rootstock; stems green to greyish green with a more of less dense indumentum of spreading to curved-appressed hairs about 0.1-0.2 mm long. Leaves peiolate; petioles 8-24 mm long; blades narrowly lanceolate toovate, up to 35-55 mm long and 9-25 mm wide, galbrous to finely puberulous, bases attenuate, tips obtuse to obtuse. Inflorescences short, spikelike, in upper leaf axils, leaves gradulaly smaller towards the ips of the shoots; bracts lanceolate-acuminate, 6-13.7 mm ling, 1.7-2.5 mm wide, fused for about half their lengths, margins often hyaline towards their bases puberulous or often with a dense indumentum of spreading hairs about 1 mm long; bracteoles lanceolate-acuminate with hyaline margins, 7.5-11.7 mm long, about 1.2 mm wide. Calyces enclosed by bracteoles, lobes thin, lanecolate subulate, 5-7.3 mm long, about 08 mm wide; corollas white ot pinkish with pinkish markings, 12-22 mm long, tubes cylindrical, twisted, somewhat widened distally, 6-12.3 mm long, wider lip in each flower 3-lobed, 6.5-10.5 mm long, smaller lips entire, acuminate, 5-10 mm long. Capsules 4-seeded, densely pubescent with erect hairs 0.15-2 mm long in the distal part, 5.3-9 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, lower 1.3 sterilel seeds black, smooth, flattened, about 2 mm long and 1.9 mm wide.
Hypoestes forskaolii grows in Acacia woodlands, Juniperus-Buxus forests, limestone slopes, Acacia-Commiphora scrub, often in grazed areas. It is a common species in Africa and tropical regions of the Arabian peninsula. In Somailand, it is recorded from N1, N2, N3, C1, C2, S1, and S3 of the Flora of Somalia.
Pickering & Awale (2018) Introduction to Plants of Central Somaliland. Page 16.
Erect herb, up to 80 cm with short hairs on stems. Leaves simple, opposite with entire margins. Flowers white to pale pink, 2-lipped, the upper lip reflexed with purple markings above the throat. Fruit a club shaped capsule.
Habitat: Under bushes and trees, very common, altitude up to 1600 m.