Justicia plectica Leonard

  • Authority

    Maguire, Bassett & Wurdack, John J. 1961. The botany of the Guayana Highland--part IV (2). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 10: 1-87.

  • Family

    Acanthaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Justicia plectica Leonard

  • Description

    Latin Diagnosis - Suffrutex, caulibus usque ad 2 m longos, implicatis, subteretibus, levitersulcatis, parce puberulis (apice dense et bifariam puberulis), pilis retrorse curvatis 0.16 mm longis; lamina foliorum lanceolata, vel ovato-lanceolata, usque ad 15 cm longam et 3.5 cm latam, acuminata, basi obtusa vel rotundata, aliquanto firma, parce puberula, pilis antrorse curvatis, 0.16 mm longis, praecipue in costa et venis (6-8 paribus) positis, subtus costa et venis prominentibus, supra obscura, cystolithis pluribus; petioli 5 mm longi, puberuli, pilis antrorse appressis, 0.25 mm longis, subtus aliquando pilis rectis, patulis glandulosis praeditis; thyrsi terminales, triangulares, sessiles, usque ad 7 cm longos, basi 3 cm lati, apice acuti, rhachi puberula, pilis curvatis; bracteae et bracteolae anguste lanceolatae, crassae, usque ad 2 cm longas, 0.75-1.5 mm. latae, acutae, aliquanto parce hirtellae, pilis ascendentibus plerumque 0.5 mm longis, apice quandoque pilis rectis patulis glandulosis praeditae, costa obscura; calycis segmenta 5, lanceolata, 12.5 mm longa, 1.75 mm lata, acuminata, parce puberula, pilis plerumque appressis, 0.8-0.16 longis, costa aliquanto prominenti, marginibus albis; corolla aurantiaca, glabra vel in venis parce et minute hirtella, 4-4.6 cm longa, tubo basi 2.5 mm lato, prope os 5 mm lato, labio superiore erecto, anguste ovato, 26 mm longo, basi 8 mm lato, apice 1 mm lato, rotundato, minute bilobato, lobis rotundatis, labio inferiore patulo, 3 cm longo, basi 5 mm lato, trilobato, lobis aequalibus, oblongo-lanceolatis, 2 cm longis, 5 mm latis, apice obtusis; stamina 2 cm supra os corollae exserta, lobis antherarum leviter superpositis, lobo infimo basi calcarato, cauda 0.75 mm longa, alba; capsulae clavatae, 12 mm longae, 6 mm latae, 4 mm crassae, obtusae, minute et dense puberulae; semina 4, sphaerica, minute puberula, albida; retinaeula spathulata, albida, 2.5 mm longa, apice plana, rotundata, 1 mm lata.

  • Discussion

    Fig. 38.

    Justicia plectica is related to Justicia albomarginata (Lindau) Leonard (Beloperone albomarginata Lindau, Bull. Herb. Boiss. ser. 2. 5:373. 1905. Sassier 2755, Paraguay). The white-margined calyx segments, the capsules and globular seeds of the two species seem to be very similar. The corollas of J. albomarginata are however purple instead of orange and much smaller, 32 mm long, the upper lip 14 mm long and the lower 17 mm long. The specific epithet is deriyed from the Greek word [greek], meaning tangled and alluding to the tangles formed by the species.