The genus "Stachytarpheta" comes from the Greek words for spike ("stachys") and thick ("tarphys"). It refers to the spike inflorescence found in many species of this genus, The species epithet "indica" means that it is from India. However, this species is believed to be native to Africa. It currently has a pantropical distribution.
Maintain plants year after year by pruning back hard in late winter or early spring. Stems will get woody with time and will likely need to be replaced by starting new plants from seed or stem cuttings every 3 to 4 years. Individ- ual flowers last only one day and will remain closed on dark or cloudy days.
Lytocaryum weddellianum do well in temperatures between 15 and 27°C (59-81°F). They should not be exposed for long periods to temperatures below or above that range.