-Plants (Kingdom Plantae)

-Vascular Plants (Phylum Tracheophyta)

-Flowering Plants (Subphylum Angiospermae)

-Dicots (Class Magnoliopsida)

-Mints, Plantains, Olives, and Allies (Order Lamiales)

-Acanthus Family (Family Acanthaceae)

-Subfamily Nelsonioideae

-Genus Elytraria

-Purple Scalystem (Elytraria imbricata)

The native range of this species is S. U.S.A. to NW. Argentina. It is a subshrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used as a medicine and for food. Elytraria imbricata produces spikes of light purple five-stellate flowers, and reach esheights of 30 to 50 centimetres.