Jacobinia axiologa 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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Type
Type in the U. S. National Herbarium, No. 1742247, collected about 20 km. south of El Centro, in the vicinity of Barranca Bermeja, Magdalena Valley, between the Ríos Sogamoso and Carare, Department of Santander, Colombia, 100 meters altitude, September 29, 1936, by Oscar Haught (No. 1986).
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Description
Latin Diagnosis - Suffrutex, caulibus quadrangularibus, deorsum glabris, sursum bifariam pilosis, pills patulis, brunneis, septatis; lamina foliorum ovato-lanceolata vel oblongo-elliptica, graciliter acuminata, basi acuta vel obtusa vel rotundata vel subcordata, aliquanto firma, integra vel leviter crenata, giabra, vel juventute pilos, paucos ferens, subtus aliquanto dense hirsuta, pills patentibus vel ascendentibus, pills praecipue in costa et venis lateralibus prominentibus positis, cystolithis minutis, saepe punctiformibus; petioli crassi, brunneo-pilosi, pilis septatis; spicae terminales et aliquando laterales solitariae, vel 2 vel 3, pedunculis et rhachibus hirtellis; bracteae infimae foliosae; bracteae fibres subtendentes orbiculares apice abrupte acuminatae, apice ipso gracili, basi ungulatae, ungula gracili, supra glabrae, subtus puberulae, pilis glandulosis et pilis paucis longioribus eglandulosis intermixtis, marginibus ciliatis, bracteolne lanceolatae, subhyalinae, glabrae vel apice pilos rigidos ferentes, calycis segmenta 4, anguste triangularia, acuminatia, glabra vel apice pilos paucos rigidos ferentes, basi ciliolata; corolla Hayti, apice hirtella, pilis patulis, deorsum glabra, tuba subcylindrico, labiis aequalibus, labio superiore oblongo, apice 2-lobato, lobis parvis, rotundatis, labio inferiore patulo, 3-lobato, lobis anguste ovatis, apice rotundatis; stamina vix exserta, antheris angustis, lobis parellelis, basi obtiusis, capsulae clavatae, planae, glabrae, retinacula recta vel leviter curvata, acuta; semina suborbicularia, plana, pallida, leviter rugosa, papillosa.
Description - Suffrutescent plants up to 2 meters high; stems quadrangular, glabrous or the upper portions bilariously pilose with spreading hairs, sometimes densely so, the hairs 1.5 mm. long, brown, septate; leaf blades ovate-lanceolate or oblong-elliptic, up to 32 cm. long and 11 cm. wide, acuminate, often slenderly so, gradually narrowed from about the middle to an acute, obtuse or often a narrow rounded or subcordate base, moderately firm, entire or shallowly crenate, the upper surface glabrous or bearing on the younger leaves a few scattered ascending hairs 0.75 mm. long, the lower surface rather densely hirsute, the hairs spreading or ascending, up to 1.5 mm. long, densest on the costa and lateral veins (9 or 10 pairs), the venation prominent beneath, less so above, the cystoliths minute, many of them punctform; petioles rather stout, up to 7 cm. long and 3 mm. in diameter, brown-pilose, often densely so, the hairs spreading, up to 1.5 mm. long, septate; flowers borne in terminal and sometimes axillary spikes, these solitary, paired or in threes and up to 20 cm. long and 3 cm. broad, the peduncles (up to 3 cm. long) and rhachis hirtellous; bracts subtending the spikes and lowermost flowers lanceolate, leaflike, up to 3 cm. long and 1 cm. wide; typical bracts subtending the flowers orbicular, 1.5 cm. long, 1 cm. wide, abruptly and slenderly acuminate, the slender tip about 3 mm. long, abruptly narrowed at middle to a slender claw, the upper surface glabrous, the lower puberulous with minute erect popular hairs and a few longer curved eglandular ones intermixed, the margins ciliate with spreading hairs up to 1 mm. long; bractiets lanceolate, 3.25 mm. long, 1 mm. wide near base, slenderly acuminate, subhyaline, glabrous or bearing a few curved stiff hairs about 0.18 mm. long, sparingly ciliolate; calyx 4-parted, mm. long, deeply segmented, the segments narrowly triangular, about 0.5 mm. wide at base, gradually narrowed from base to a slender tip, thin, glabrous except at tip, here bearing a few stiff curved ascending hairs about 0.18 mm. long, sparingly ciliolate toward base; corolla pale yellow, 2.5 to 3 cm. long, sparingly hirtellous at tip, otherwise glabrous, the tube about 2 mm. broad at base, slightly constricted above base, the mouth 4.5 mm. broad, the lips subequal, 7 mm. long, the upper lip suberect, oblong, about 3 mm. wide at base, gradually narrowed to 1 mm. near tip, 2-lobed, the lobes about 0.5 mm. long and broad, rounded, the lower lip somewhat spreading, 3-lobed, narrowly ovate, about 5 mm. long, rounded at tip; stamens reaching within about 2 mm. of the tip of the upper lip and lying in it, glabrous, the anthers 2.5 mm. long, the lobes narrow and parallel and rounded at base, the connective very narrow; pistil about as long as the stamens, sparingly hirtellous, capsules 13 to 15 mm. long, 5 mm. wide and 2.5 mm. thick, 4-seeded, glabrous, the solid stipitate portion about 6 mm. long and 2 ma broad; retinacula straight or slightly curved, about 2.5 mm. long, acute; seed suborbicular, 5 mm. long and 4 mm. broad, 0.75 mm. thick, whitish, faintly wrinkled, papillose.
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Discussion
Also of this species are Haught's No. 1672, collected at Camp Carare IV in the vicinity of Puerto Berrio, between the Rìo Carare and Río Magdalena, Department of Santander, 100 to 700 meters altitude, April 25, 1935 (US), and Hodge's No, 0511, collected in rain forest along the Río Carare, Department of Santander, 300 to 400 meters altitude, September 28, 1945 (GH, Med). Jacobinia axiologa apparently has no close relative in Colombia. It is readily recognizable by its peculiar orbicular apiculate clawed bracts. Hodge states that the flowers of his No. 6511 were creamy white. The specific epithet is from the Greek άξιόλογος, meaning remarkable or worthy of mention.