Aphelandra straminea Leonard
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Authority
Leonard, Emery C. 1953. The Acanthaceae of Colombia, II. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 31: i-viii, 119-322.
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Family
Acanthaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type in the U. S. National Herbarium, No. 1662504, collected in a swampy forest at Puerto Araujo on the Río Carare, vicinity of Puerto Berrio, Department of Santander, Colombia June 6, 1935, by Oscar Haught (No. 1750) . An isotype is in the herbarium of the New York Botanical Garden. Mutis 1501 (S, US) is also of this species
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Description
Latin Diagnosis - Suffrutex, caulibus teretibus, minute et sursum strigosis vel glabratis, pilis brunnescentibus; lamina foliorum elliptica, oblonga vel late oblanceolata, acurninata, apice ipso obtuso, basi angustata, in petiolum decurrens, submembranacea, integra vel undulata, supra nitida, glabra, subtus parce et minute strigosa, pilis brunnescentibus, costa et venis aliquanto prominentibus, venulis crasse reticulatis petioli longs, glabri vel parce strigosi spicae longae, terminales, solitariae, subsessiles, rhache flocculoso-tomentosa; bracteae decussatae, arcte imbricatae, rhombeo-ovatae, acutae vel subacuminatae, apice ipso rotundato, coriaceae, marginibus subhyalinis, deorsum ciliolatis, costa, et venis lateralibus prominentibus, utrinque glabrae areola opaca elliptica alveolata pro ocellis substituta bracteolae lanceolatae, carinatae, carina dense et molliter pubescente, marginibus subhyalinis; calycis segments striato-nervata, segmentum posterius oblongo-ovatum, apice obtusum, sursum pubescens, segmenta anteriora lanceolata, obtusa, apiculata, glabra, lateralia anguste lanceolata, obtusa et apiculata, glabra; corolla straminea, tuba angusto, aliquanto curvato, labio superiors erecto, anguste ovato, bilobato, lobis triangularibus, acuminatis, labio inferiore trilobato, lobo medio patulo, ovato, apice acuto et recurvato, lobis lateralibus parvis, rotundatis, cum labio superiore basi connatis; stamina vix exserta capsulae oblongae, apice rotundatae, glabrae, minute punctatae; semina plana, brunnea, parce papillosa.
Description - Suffrutescent herbs up to 2 meters high stems terete, minutely and upwardly strigose, or glabrate, the hairs brownish, about 0.25 mm. long, the lenticels corky, conspicuous, light brown, up to about 0.75 mm. long; leaf blades elliptic to oblong, or broadly oblanceolate, 20 to 30 cm. long, 7 to 11.5 cm. wide, or the uppermost smaller, acuminate at apex (the tip itself blunt), narrowed at base and decurrent on the petiole, submembranaceous, entire or undulate, the upper surface drying olive, nitid, glabrous, the costa and lateral veins (10 to 12 pairs) flat or slightly raised, moderately conspicuous, the lower surface drying a slightly lighter shade than the upper, rather sparingly and minutely strigose, the hairs brownish and about 0.25 mm. long, the costa and lateral veins raised and rather conspicuous, the veinlets coarsely but inconspicuously reticulate; petioles 5 to 15 cm. long (the upper half or third narrowly winged), glabrous or sparingly and minutely strigose; spikes terminal, solitary, subsessile, up to 26 cm. long and 12 mm. broad, quadrangular, the rachis white-cottony-tomentose; bracts decussate, closely imbricate, rhombic-ovate, 1 cm. long, about 7 mm. wide, acute to subacuminate (the tip itself rounded), coriaceous, the margins subscarious, ciliolate near base of bract, the costa prominent, inconspicuously excurrent at tip, the lateral nerves conspicuous except on the broad scarious margins, both surfaces glabrous, the ocelli replaced by dull alveolate oval areas about 1.5 mm. long and 1 mm. wide bractlets lanceolate, 10 mm. long and 3 mm. wide, carinate, the keel densely soft-pubescent, the margins subglabrous, ciliolate calyx 11.5 mm. long, the posterior segment oblong-ovate, 5 mm. wide, the anterior pair lanceolate, 3 mm. wide, the lateral pair more narrowly lanceolate, 2.5 mm. wide, all striate-nerved, the posterior segment sparingly and minutely pubescent, obtuse at apex, the other glabrous and minutely apiculate corolla straw-color, tinged with pink (Bought), papillose without, slightly curved, about 5 cm. long, the tube about 5 mm. broad near base, narrowed to 3 mm. at 10 mm. above base, thence gradually expanded to about 7 mm. at mouth, the upper lip erect, 15 mm. long and 7 mm. wide, the 2 apical lobes narrowly triangular, about 6 mm. long and 3 mm. wide, the middle lobe of the lower lip spreading, ovate, 17 mm. long, 8 mm. wide, the apex acute and recurved, the lateral lobes partly adnate to the upper lip, their free portions about 1 mm. long and broad, rounded; stamens exserted about 5 mm. beyond the mouth of the corolla tube, the anthers about mm. long and 1 mm. broad, their basal lobe muticous; capsules oblong, 14 mm. long and 6 mm. broad, rounded, glabrous, minutely punctate under a lens; seeds brown, flat, 4 mm. long and 3 mm. broad, sparingly papillose.
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Discussion
Aphelandra straminea can be separated from A. hodgei, A. longspica, and other closely related species by its straw-colored corollas, hence the specific name straminea. The spike of the Stockholm specimen cited above is atypical in being poorly developed (only about 5 cm. long).