Justicia graphophylla Leonard
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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
Latin Diagnosis - Herba magna, caulibus subquadrangularibus, glabris vel in nodis parce puberulis, pilis rigidis, antrorse appressis, cystolithis multis, subpunctiformibus; lamina foliorum oblongo-elliptica, breviter acuminata (apice gracili), basi angustata, firma, undulata, utrinque glabra, costa et venis lateralibus et venulis crasse reticulatis prominentibus, cystolithis utrinque multis, conspicuis; petioli glabri vel parce strigosi; spicae axillares et terminales; pedunculi antrorse hirtelli, pilis rigidis; rhaches subquadrangulares, dense hirtellae, pilis rigidis, antrorse subappressis; bractae infimae subulatae, carinatae, conduplicatae, parce hirtellae, pilis rigidis ascendentibus, cystoliths multis et conspicuis; bracteae supremae subulatae vel anguste triangulares, parvae, acuminatae, carinatae, parce hirtellae, cystolithis multis et conspicuis; bracteolae bracteis similes vel leviter breviores; calycis segmenta anguste linearia, parce hirtella, pilis rigidis, ascendentibus, cystolithis multis, conspicuis; corolla alba, labio anteriore violaceo-maculato, tubo angusto, basi glabro, sursum aliquanto dense hirtello, pilis plus minusve patulis, rigidis, labio superiore erecto, oblongo-ovato, apice rotundato, emarginato, labio inferiore patulo vel recurvato, oblongo, intus glanduloso-papilloso, apice 3-lobato, lobis parvis, rotundatis, lobo medio cucullato; stamina exserta labium corollae aequalia vel leviter breviora, filamentis glabris, lobis antherarum hirsutis, superpositis, verticalibus, lobo inferiore breviter caudato; ovarium glabrum.
Description - Large herbs, probably up to 1 meter high or more; stems subquadrangular, glabrous or sparingly puberulous at the nodes, the hairs rigid, upwardly appressed, the cystoliths numerous, subpunctiform; leaf blades oblong-elliptic, up to 17 cm. long and 8 cm. wide, short-acuminate, the tip slender, narrowed at base, firm, undulate, both surfaces glabrous, the costa, lateral veins (usually 8 pairs) and the coarsely reticulated veinlets prominent, the cystoliths of both surfaces numerous and conspicuous, 0.24 mm. long; petioles 2 to 2.5 cm. long, glabrous or sparingly strigose; spikes axillary and terminal, usually about 6 cm. long; peduncles 8 to 13 mm. long, upwardly hirtellous, the hairs rigid, subappressed. mostly about 0.11 mm. lonor; rachis subquadrangular, about 0.75 mm. in diameter, densely hirtellous with rigid upwardly subappressed hairs, the internodes up to about 8 mm. wide at base, carinate and conduplicate, sparingly hirtellous, the hairs ascending, rigid, about 0.16 mm. long, the cystoliths numerous and conspicuous, the upper bracts subulate or narrowly triangular, about 1.5 to 2.5 mm. long, narrowed from base to a slender tip, carinate, sparingly hirtellous and covered with cystoliths; bractlets similar to the bracts, equaling them or slightly shorter; calyx segments narrowly linear, 8.5 mm. long, about 0.75 mm. wide, sparingly hirtellous, the hairs rigid and ascending, up to 0.2 mm. long, the cystoliths numerous, parallel and conspicuous; corolla white with the anterior lip spotted with violet (Pennell), 26 mm. long, rather densely hirtellous except at base, the hairs more or less spreading, up to 0.24 mm. long, rigid, the corolla tube narrow, 2 mm. broad at base, narrowed at 5 mm. above base to 1.5 mm., thence gradually enlarged to 2.5 mm. at mouth, the upper lip erect, oblong-ovate, 12 mm. long, 4 mm. wide at base, 0.75 mm. wide at hairs rigid and ascending, up to 0.2 mm. long, the cystoliths numerous, parallel and conspicuous; corolla white with the anterior lip spotted with violet (Pennell), 26 mm. long, rather densely hirtellous except at base, the hairs more or less spreading, up to 0.24 mm. long, rigid, the corolla tube narrow, 2 mm. broad at base, narrowed at 5 mm. above base to 1.5 mm., thence gradually enlarged to 2.5 mm. at mouth, the upper lip erect, oblong-ovate, 12 mm. long, 4 mm. wide at base, 0.75 mm. wide at tip, rounded, emarginate, the lower lip spreading or recurved, the inner surface papillose, oblong, 5 mm. wide, 3-lobed at tip, the lobes about 1 mm. long and 1.5 mm. wide, rounded, the middle one cucullate; stamens exserted, equaling or slightly shorter than the corolla lips, the filaments glabrous, the anthers 3.5 mm. long, 0.5 mm. broad, dorsally hirsute, the cells superposed and vertically attached to the connective, the cells slightly overlapping, the lower one short-caudate, the tail rounded at tip, about 0.32 mm. long; ovary hirtellous.
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Discussion
Justicia graphophylla bears a close relationship to J. phlebophylla and resembles it in many respects, especially in the large glabrous or nearly glabrous leaf blades, these densely covered by cystoliths. In J. phlebophylla, the rachis of the spike is heavy and the flowers secund; the rachis does not show any tendency to fragmentation as in J, graphophylla. The specific epithet is from the Greek γράφw, engrave or draw, and φύλλoν, leaf, in allusion to the design formed by the conspicuous cystoliths.