purpleinopp: Yes, the details keep it interesting. I was kind of thinking out loud about the process (which is new to me) and may have sidetracked things a bit. Agreed with your logic about it most likely being something hardy in NJ, I was just observing that in the case of an unknown potted plant with undisclosed provenance, others can't be completely ruled out until it's been identified. flora_uk: The original photo sure reminded me of a Chlorophytum I lived with for a while at university, but we parted soon after graduation and lost touch. I probably stared at it for hours while mulling over assignments, but the unique characteristics you mentioned have long faded from memory - thanks for reminding me. I'm giving the Image Zoom extension a try; can't rotate/zoom in two clicks, but can get there in four. Not likely to make me a better guesser, but will be better able to see the overlooked details you and others point out.

I believe it's a species Zinnia (not a variety of Z. angustifolia), but I do not recall the actual species name.

Justicia brandegeana, commonly called shrimp plant.

One clue to tell if it is a ficus would be to nick it somewhere on the trunk and see if it bleeds white sap(latex). Another would be to look at the growth point and see if it is ficus-like. They all have similar points. A close up of that would help. Not too sure I would go with elastica(rubber tree) as a first guess,but I can't say that I would rule out that it might be a ficus of some sort. Give it a little nick,a tiny scratch will do,nothing too noticeable,...and let us know if the sap looks like milk. Also,if it IS latex,don't get it on your skin. Many react badly to it. Just a heads-up.