Ruellia geminiflora Kunth
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Authority
Wasshausen, Dieter C. & Wood, John R. I. 2004. Acanthaceae of Bolivia. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 49: 1-152.
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Family
Acanthaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Dipteracanthus geminiflorus (Kunth) Nees, in Mart., Fl. Bras. 9(7):40. 1847. TYPE: Colombia, Tolima, Santa Ana & Ibague, Humboldt & Bonpland s. n. holotype P; F photo 39431) Ruellia elliptica Rusby, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 27:74.1900. TYPE: Bolivia, La Paz, Larecaja, Guanay, Rusby 2562 (holotype NY). Ruellia hipericifitha Rusby, Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 7:363. 1927. TYPE: Bolivia, Beni, Ballivián, Reyes, Rusby 1322 (holotype NY).
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Description
Description - Suffrutescent erect herb, with stems to 80 cm, from a terete woody rhizome less than 1.5 cm diam.; stems pubescent, densely white-arachnoid and hirsute at nodes; leaves shortly petiolate, blades elliptic, 2-5 x 1-2.5 cm, white-tomentose or densely velutinous; flowers sessile, geminate or solitary in axils of terminal leaves; bracteoles absent or obsolete; calyx lobes linear and subulate; corolla whitish tinted with purple, 30-40 mm long, tube ca. 10 mm long, throat 20-25 mm long, lobes orbicular, ca. 15 mm in diam.; capsule obovoid, puberulous; seeds 2-4. The plant is very variable in habit; plants from open grassy cerrados may be only a few centimeters high while those from overgrown, unhurnt, scrubby grassland frequently exceed 50 cm in height.
Phenology - Flowers intensively after burning and the onset of the spring rains from September to November and sporadically at other seasons.