Common name here is brazillian snapdragon. They are a great perennial and mine stay around 2ft or so. Of course I'm always cutting the flower sprays off for the house. When the plants get too straggly looking I sometimes "butcher" them quite severely, but they bounce back with lots of new growth. Very easy to start from cuttings.

Thanks for that info. Does yours grow in full sun?

Does anyone know where I can purchase an Otacantus? I would prefer mail order.