Aphelandra glabrata Willd. ex Nees
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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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Description
Description - Shrubs, or suffrutescent herbs, up to 2 meters high; stems terete, erect or ascending, sparingly branched, the tips densely and minutely strigose, the hairs brownish, appressed, the lower portions of the stem glabrate, the lenticels raised, corky, minute, orbicular to linear, the larger barely more than 0.5 mm. long; leaf blades obovate to elliptic or oblong or oblanceolate, 10 to 20 cm. long, 3 to 12 cm. wide, more or less abruptly acuminate (the tip itself blunt, the apex often curved), gradually narrowed to base, coriaceous, the upper surface drying olive to dark brown, nitid, glabrous or the costa minutely hirsute or in young leaves the entire surface hirsute, the hairs about 0.5 mm. long, appressed or spreading, the costa and lateral veins, usually 10 to 12 pairs, flat or slightly raised, the lower surface drying light olive or brown, the entire surface usually rather densely but minutely hirsute, the hairs about 0.5 mm. long, appressed or ascending, brownish; petioles (unwinged portion) up to 10 mm. long, the pubescence similar to that of the stems; flowers borne in 1 to several terminal subsessile spikes 4 to 15 cm. long or occasionally as much as 20 cm, long, the rachis white-cottony; bracts red, closely imbricate, subrhombic, up to 7 mm-long and 5 mm. wide at 2.5 mm. above base, glabrous or softly pubescent dorsally without, densely ciliolate, the costa and 2 or more nerves on either side prominent, these flanked on either side by a flat, elliptic, subpunctate glandular spot about 1.5 mm. long and 1 mm. wide; bractlcts lanceolate, oblique, 7 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, acute, carinate, the keel densely white-pilose, the hairs appresscd to ascending, the margins subhyaline, ciliate at tip, delicately striate-nerved; calyx 7.5 mm. long, glabrous, striate-nerved, the posterior segment 4 mm. wide, obtuse, the anterior pair 2.25 mm, wide, the lateral pair 2 mm. wide, both pairs acute to obtuse; corollas 3.5 cm, long, bright red, glabrous, minutely punctate, the tube about 2.5 mm. broad at base, narrowed at tip of ovary to 1.5 mm., thence gradually enlarged to 4 mm. at mouth, the upper lip erect, 15 mm, long, about 7 mm. broad at base, narrowed to a slender 2-lobed tip, the lobes 3.5 mm, long, 1 mm. wide at base, slenderly acuminate, the middle lobe of the lower lip spreading, lance-elliptic, 4 mm, wide, obtuse at apex, conduplicate; capsules glabrous, 13 mm. long, 4.5 mm. broad, 3 mm. thick, sparingly and inconspicuously punctate; mature seed not seen.
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Discussion
Aphelandra glabrata can be recognized and readily separated from A. pulcherrima by its smooth, albicant stems and glossy leaves, characters which suggested the specific name. The flowering season extends from May through August. According to Killip, Dugand, and Jaramillo (No, 38155), the entire inflorescence takes on a deep purple color with age.