Hygrophila guianensis Nees

• Authority

  Leonard, Emery C. 1951. The Acanthaceae of Colombia, I. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 31: 1-117.

• Family

  Acanthaceae

• Scientific Name

  Hygrophila guianensis Nees

• Description

  Description - Herbs up to 50 cm. high, sparingly hirtellous to glabrate; stems obtusely quadrangular, branching; leaf blades lanceolate, 5 to 15 cm. long, 0.5 to 4 cm, wide, acuminate at both ends, entire; flowers sessile, clustered in the axils; calyx segments 5, lanceolate, about 5 mm. long, white-margined, pilose; corolla white, purplish, or yellow (Garcia-Barriga 11524), puberulent, the tube 5 mm. long, the upper lip bidentate, 2.5 mm. long, the lower lip 3-lobed; stamens 4, didynamous, the filaments of each pair united at base; capsules narrowly oblong, 1.2 to 1.4 cm. long, glabrous, 16- to 18-seeded.

• Discussion

  Nees cites a specimen of his Hygrophila rivularis (in DC. Prodr. 11:87. 1847) collected from a river bank in Colombia (collector not given, Hooker Herbarium). Hygrophila rivularis is a Mexican species closely resembling and probably synonymouos with H. guianensis. The Hooker Herbarium specimen might well be H. guianensis.