Justicia pleurolarynx (S.F.Blake) V.M.Badillo

  • Authority

    Leonard, Emery C. 1958. The Acanthaceae of Colombia, III. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 31: 323-781.

  • Family

    Acanthaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Justicia pleurolarynx (S.F.Blake) V.M.Badillo

  • Etymology

    The specific epithet is from the Greek words πλερά, rib, and λάρυργξ, throat, alluding to the plicate lamellate lower lip of the corolla.

  • Description

    Description - Branching herbs; sterns subquadrangular, bifariously hirtellous, the hairs retrorsely curved, up to 0.2 mm. long; leaf blades lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, usually up to 4 cm. long (occasionally as much as 7 cm.) and 1.5 cm. wide, acute to acuminate (the tip itself obtuse to subacute), narrowed to rounded at base, moderately firm, entire, glabrous or sparingly hirtellous, the hairs confined chiefly to costa and lateral veins (4 or 5 pairs), curved, up to 0.32 mm. long, the cystoliths usually obscure; petioles 3 to 4 mm. long, hirtellous; spikes solitary or in pairs, terminating the branches, rigid, straight or slightly curved, up to 7 cm. long and 1 cm. wide, moderately dense, the peduncles usually 0.5 to 2 cm. long, and radius bifariously hirtellous; bracts and bractlets subulate-acuminate, 1.5 to 3.5 mm. long, 0.5 mm. wide at base, sparingly hirtellous; calyx 4-parted, the segments linear-subulate, 6 mm. long, 1.25 mm. wide near base, sparingly to rather densely hirtellous, the costa and a pair of lateral veins rather prominent; corolla 9 mm. long, hirtellous, the tube 3.5 mm. long, the hairs more or less spreading, up to 0.2 mm. long, the upper lip narrowly ovate, entire, rounded, 2-lamellate within and pilose, the lower lip deltoid, duneate at base, the tip 3-lobed, the lobes short, rounded, the palate plicate-lamellate, papillose; stamens about 3 mm. long, the anther lobes rounded, obliquely attached to a relatively broad flattened connective 2 mm. broad and about 0.5 mm. thick; capsule clavate, 10 mm. long, glabrous, 4-seeded; seeds ca. 1.7 mm. long, densely papillose.