Justicia pectoralis Jacq.
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Authority
Leonard, Emery C. 1958. The Acanthaceae of Colombia, III. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 31: 323-781.
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Family
Acanthaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Description - Herbs up to 1 meter high; stems weak, erect or ascending, simple or moderately branched, often rooting at the lower nodes, subquadrangular, shallowly and coarsely grooved, glabrous or hirsutulous, the hairs retrorselv curved, up to 0.5 mm. long, disposed more or less in two lines, the internodes 1 to 7 cm. long, the cystoliths numerous, subpunctiform; leaf blades narrowly to rather broadly lanceolate, 3 to 11 cm. long, 3 to 25 mm. wide, acuminate (the tip itself acute to obtuse), acute to obtuse at base, entire or undulate, moderately firm, the upper surface glabrous or the costa hirtellous, the hairs curved, up to 0.2 mm. long, the cystoliths prominent under a lens, 125 to 200 µ long, the lower surface glabrous, the cystoliths obscure, the costa and lateral veins (5 or 6 pairs) barely prominent but more so than above; petioles slender, 2 to 12 mm. long, hirtellous, the hairs curved, about 0.2 mm. long; flowers borne in rather loose terminal panicles usually 5 to 16 cm. long and up to 6 cm. broad, the branches paired or verticillate, simple or the lower ones branched, subterete, puberulous, the eglandular hairs numerous, spreading, 50A long, the glandular ones fewer, stouter, 751.4 long, with broad turbinate tips, the lower internode usually 2 or 3 cm. long, the others succes-sively shorter toward tip of panicle; lower bracts narrowly lanceolate, 5 to 10 mm. long, 0.5 mm. wide, acuminate, costate, glabrous or the margins and costa more or less hirtellous, the succeeding bracts subulate, 1 to 2 mm. long, about 0.2 mm. wide at base, acuminate, costate, puberulous with glandular and eglandular hairs; bractlets similar to the bracts but smaller; calyx 5-parted, deeply segmented, the segments subulate, 2.5 mm. long, about 0.25 mm. wide at base, acuminate, puberulous with both glandular and eglandular hairs; corollas white, lilac, or purple, up to 8 mm. long, the throat trans-versely plicate, sometimes spotted with dark purple, the outer surface of the corolla moderately pubescent, the hairs spreading, 125 to 175 µ long, the tube about 1 mm. broad at base, 1.5-2.5 mm. broad at throat, the upper lip triangular, erect, 2.5 mm. wide at base, terminating in a subtubular oblong subcucullate tip 1.5 mm. long and 1 mm. broad, the tip itself truncate and coarsely erose, the lower lip more or less spreading, cuneate, 4 mm. wide near tip, 3-lobed, the lobes 1.5 mm. long, the middle one 2 mm. wide, the lateral ones 1.5 mm. wide, all rounded; stamens attached to corolla, tube, their free portions 2.5 mm. long, exserted about 1 mm. beyond throat of the corolla, the filaments glabrous except the adnate portion, this pilose, the hairs retrorse, the anther lobes equally attached or slightly superposed, borne on a connective about 0.25 mm. wide; style 7 mm. long, glabrous or bearing a few minute hairs near base; capsules elevate, 8 mm. long, 1.5 mm. broad, puberulous, the eglandular hairs intermixed with a few glandular ones; retinacula 2 mm. long, the tip rounded; seed flattish, 1.5 mm. broad, reddish brown, roughened.
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Discussion
Justicia pedoralis is closely related to J. comata, but typical plants of the former can be readily recognized by their terminal inflorescence with subterete glandular pubcrulous branches. The inflorescence of J. comata, on the other hand, is often both terminal and lateral with flattened branches, these hirtellous, usually bearing few if any glandular hairs.