Justicia phytolaccoides Leonard

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Acanthaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Justicia phytolaccoides Leonard

  • Type

    Type in the U. S. National Herbarium, No. 2045848, collected along stream at San Antonio, Department of Cundinamarca, Colombia, 200 meters altitude, June 14, 1948, by Oscar Haught (No. 6242).

  • Description

    Latin Diagnosis - Herba vel suffrutex, caulibus subquadrangularibus, glabris vel sursum aliquanto strigosis; lamina foliorum oblongo-ovata vel ovato-lanceolata, acuta vel breviter acuminata vel aliquando obtusa, basi acuta vel obtusa vel rotundata, plus minusve obliqua, firma, integra, vel leviter undulata, glabra vel costa et venis lateralibus parce strigosa, subtus venis prominentibus, cystolithis sub lente prominentibus; petioli crassi, glabri vel parce strigosi; spicae 1 vel plures, terminales vel axillares, breviter pedunculatae, rhache puberula; bracteae obovatae, obtusae, crassae, minute puberulae et ciliolatae, costa et venis litteralibus prominentibus, venulis crasse reticulates; bracteolae oblongo-lanceolatae, subacutae, minute puberulae et ciliolatae, costa et venis prominentibus, calycis segmenta obionglo-lanceolata, minute punctata, ciliata corolla caerulea, albolineata, puberula, labiis subaequalibus, labio superiors erecto, ovato, apice august ato (apice ipso obtuso), labio inferiors 3-lobato, lobis suborbicularibus, rotundatis; stamina exserta, lobis superpositis, lobo superiors mutico, clavato-pubescente, lobo inferiore glabro, caicarato, fila,mentis planis, glabris; capsulae glabrae, apice acutae, minute puberulae; retinacula ligulata, apice tenuia, rotundata semina brunnea, plana, tuberculata.

    Description - Herbs or shrubs up to 2 meters high; stems subtetragonal, glabrous or the upper portions sparingly to moderately strigose, the hairs more or less in two rows; leaf blades oblong-ovate or ovate-lanceolate, up to 25 cm. long and II cm. wide, acute to short-acuminate or occasionally obtuse at apex, acute to obtuse or rounded and more or less oblique at base, rather firm, entire or undulate, glabrous or the costa and lateral veins (8 to 12 pairs) sparingly strigose, the venation prominent beneath, less so above, the cystoliths numerous, conspicuous under a lens, about 0.28 mm. long; petioles rather stout, up to 6 cm. long, glabrous or sparingly strigose; spikes solitary and terminal or sometimes both terminal and axillary, up to 11 cm. long, 2 cm. broad, the peduncles usually about 5 mm. long, these and the rachis puberulous; bracts obovate, averaging 17 mm. long and 8 mm. wide, obtuse at tip, narrowed to 3 mm. at base, firm, entire, minutely puberulous and ciliolate, veiny, the costa and about 6 pairs of lateral veins prominent, the veinlets coarsely reticulate; bractlets oblong-lanceolate, 10 mm. long, 3 mm. wide, subacute, 1.75 mm. wide at base, minutely puberulous and ciliolate, the costa and lateral veins (3 or 4 pairs) prominent; calyx 12 mm long, deeply segmented, minutely punctate and ciliolate, the segments oblong-lanceolate, 10 mm. long, 2.75 mm. wide; corollas 3 cm. long, blue, lined with white, puberulous except the enlarged glabrous basal portion, this 4 mm. broad at base, the corolla tube narrowed at 7 mm. above base to 3 mm., thence gradually enlarged to 4 mm. at mouth, the upper lip erect, ovate, 15 mm. long, 5 mm. wide, narrowed to an obtuse tip, the lower lip spreading, 15 mm. long, ovate, suborbicular, 3-lobed, the middle lobe 3.5 mm. long and 4 mm. wide, rounded, the lateral lobes 3 mm. wide, obtuse, somewhat oblique; stamens exserted 12 mm. beyond the mouth of the corolla tube, the anthers 3.5 mm. long, the lobes superposed vertically or nearly so, the upper lobe muticous, dorsally densely pubescent, the lower lobe glabrous, calcarate, the tail blunt, about 0.75 mm, long, the filaments flattened, glabrous; capsules clavate, 16 to 18 mm. long, 5 mm. wide, 3.5 mm. thick, acute, finely puberulous; retinacula ligulate, 2.5 mm. long, 0.5 mm. wide, the tip thin, whitish, rounded; seed 4 mm. long, 3.25 mm. wide, 1 mm. thick, brown, tuberculate.

  • Discussion

    García-Barriga (No. 12353) describes the flowers of his collection as being ''amarillas." This may possibly be an error since some of the bluish coloration still remains in one of the dried corollas. Aside from this possible color variation, García-Barriga's specimen is identical with the other specimens cited. The flowers of Haught's No. 1807 were rose, lined with white, showing that there is some color variation.