Justicia wynaadensis (Nees) T.Anderson, J. Linn. Soc. Bot.

P., Soumya, Y. F., Deng, S. S., Dash & Sunojkumar, P., 2023, A taxonomic revision of the genus JUStICIa (Acanthaceae) in Peninsular India, Rheedea 33 (4), pp. 270-331 : 324-327

Justicia wynaadensis (Nees) T.Anderson, J. Linn. Soc. Bot. 9: 515. 1867; C.B.Clarke in Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 4: 533. 1885. Gendarussa wynaadensis Nees in Wall ., Pl. Asiat. Rar. 3: 105. 1832. Adhatoda wynaadensis (Nees) Nees in DC., Prodr. 11: 406. 1847. Ecbolium wynadense (B.Heyne) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 981. 1891. Lectotype (designated here): INDIA, s.loc., s.d., B. Heyne, Wall . Cat . 2474 (K [K001116152 digital image!]). FigS. 37–39

Perennial shrubs, up to 1.5 m tall. Stems erect, striate, dichotomously branched; branches stout, widely spreading, greenish, glabrous with young branches puberulous; internodes 2–11 cm long. Leaves petiolate; laminae elliptic to lanceolate, 4–16 × 2–7 cm, base attenuate, margins entire to dentate with minute hairs, apex acuminate, sub-coriaceous, finely scabrous, puberulous with dense hairs on ribs; veins prominent, secondary veins 5–9 pairs, venation broquidodromous; petioles 1–3 cm long, bifariously pubescent. Inflorescence terminal or axillary spike, glandular, up to 10 cm long, 3–10 flowered; peduncles 1.5–5 cm long, simple or branched, densely pubescent with glandular and non-glandular hairs. Flowers sessile, two per inflorescence node, 7–12 × 6–8 mm; bracts linear to narrowly lanceolate, small, 3–4 × 0.5–1 mm, apex narrowly acute, greenish, densely pubescent with glandular and non-glandular hairs; bracteoles similar to bracts. Calyx deeply 5-lobed, 6–7.5 × 1.75–2 mm at anthesis, accrescent, greenish, densely pubescent with scattered glandular hairs; lobes linear to narrowly lanceolate, equal, apex acuminate. Corolla whitish or purplish white with dark purple striations on lips, hirsute outside, glabrous inside except in the throat; tube cylindrical, 3.5–4 × 2–2.3 mm, slightly enlarged in throat; upper lip erect, 4.5–6 × 3–4 mm, apex notched and hooded; lower lip 3-lobed, obovate to orbicular, unequal, middle lobe ovate, 5–6.5 × 4.5–5 mm, apex acute or obtuse; lateral lobes narrowly oblong, 5–6 × 1–1.5 mm, lobes rounded, recurved. Stamens exserted; filaments 3–4 mm long, white, basally hirsute; anthers thecae superposed, equal, elliptic, c. 1 × 0.5 mm, greenish yellow, glabrous; appendage white, c. 0.5 mm long, apex acute. Ovary ellipsoid to oblong, c. 2 × 1 mm, pale green, glabrous; style slender, 6–7.5 mm long, whitish, hirsute in lower half; stigma simple, capitate; nectariferous disc c. 0.6 mm high, yellowish white. Capsule clavate to oblong, 1.5–2 × 0.4–0.6 cm, apex cuspidate, pale brown, densely pubescent throughout; sterile base c. 6 mm long, flattened. Seeds 4, sub-orbicular or discoid, 2.5–3 × 3–3.5 mm, brownish, glabrous; testa sparsely rugulose.

Flowering & fruiting: Flowering and fruiting from November to March; fruiting in April.

Habitat: This species grows as undergrowth in moist deciduous and evergreen forests. It is common along forest margins and Ghat roadsides at an elevation of 225–1100 m.

Distribution: Peninsular India.

Specimens examined: INDIA, Karnataka, Shimoga district, Hulikal , 27.02.1962, R . S . Raghavan 77638 ( CAL); Uttara Kannada district, Dandeli-Gund road, 09.02.1980, K . P . Sreenath & S . R . Ramesh 10822 ( CAL) . Kerala, Ernamkulam district, Thundathil Range, Bhoothathankettu , 12.02.1970, B . V . Shetty 33480 ( MH); Ibid. , 04.10.2018, P . Soumya & P . Sunojkumar 151870 ( CALI); Idukki district, Mullakkudy, 10.01.1994, Jomy Augustine 13121; Kulamavu , 14.08.2018, P . Soumya & P . Sunojkumar 157530 ( CALI); Kannur district, Aralam , 26.2.1979, V . S . Ramachandran 61920 ( MH); Chembukavu to Kannoth R . F ., 20.01.1979, V . J . Nair 59714 ( CAL); Ibid. , 20.01.1980, V . S . Ramachandran 58794 ( CAL, MH); Ibid. , s.d., V . S . Ramachandran 54058 ( MH); Palakkad district, Dhoni hills, 19.01.1910, C . E .C. Fischer 1598 ( CAL, FRC); s.loc., 28.04.1923, s.coll. 17304 ( MH); Pottikkal forest, Mukkali , 12.01.1980, N . C . Nair 65409 ( CAL); Pathanamthitta district, Konni , 20.12.1902, s.coll., 1319 ( CAL); Malappuram district , Manjeri , 30.01.1984, Philip Mathew 34398 ( CALI); Ibid. , 24.02.1970, J . L . Ellis 33536 ( MH); Nedumkayam, New Amarambalam , 23.01.2003, P . S . Udayan et al. 01268 ( CMPR); Pathanamthitta district, Pamba, 22.01.1997, Jomy Augustine 17146 ( CALI); Wayanad district , Ghat region , 22.09.2018, P . Soumya & P . Sunojkumar 151848; Puthoorvayal , 14.01.2000, Ratheesh Narayanan M . K . 1195 ( CALI); s.loc., s.d., Ratheesh Narayanan M . K . 0250 ( MSSRF); Sulthan Bathery , 08.02.1964, J . L . Ellis 18599 ( MH) . Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore district, Mount Stowest , 29.01.1962, J . Joseph 13805 ( MH); Siruvani , 20.02.1957, K . Subramanyan 2389 ( CAL, MH); Nilgiris district, Coonor Ghat side, 07.03.1870, s.coll., 10460 ( CAL); Mudumalai , Benne-Pattavayal road, 09.03.1991, E . Vajravelu 96105 ( MH); Naduvatttam to Pykara road, 24.04.2017, P . Soumya, Shinoj & P . Sunojkumar 145344 ( CALI); Theni district, Kombai forest , 23.02.1978, M . Chandrabose 54245 ( CAL); s.loc., s.d., C . E .C. Fischer 1598 ( CAL); Vellore district, Kilandur , 21.03.1964, R . S . Raghavan 97048 ( CAL) .

Conservation status: The species is widely distributed in Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu and is treated as of Least Concern ( LC) .

Typification: In the protologue of Gendarussa wynaadensis, Nees von Esenbeck (1832) cited Wallich’s nomen nudum “ Justicia wynaadensis” ( Wallich, 1830) , and specimens studied by him ( Justicia wynaadensis Herb. Heyn. Wall. Cat. n. 2474 and Herb. Wight ex parte. Wall . Cat . n. 2486c. Justicia lineata Wall. Cat. n. 2486c). Subsequently, Anderson (1867) transferred this species to Justicia (as J. wynaadensis (Nees) T.Anderson ). While searching for the original material of J.wynaadensis , we located three sheets: two at K and one at GZU. Among these, two sheets (GZU251578, K001116152) have the annotation “ Justicia wynaadensis and herb. Heyne”, while the third sheet (K001116172) belongs to Wight’s collection and has the catalogue number Wall . Cat . 2486c (as Justicia lineata Wall. Cat. 2486c ). All of these can be considered as syntypes according to Art. 9.6 of the ICN ( Turland et al., 2018). Among them, the specimen at K (K001116152) is selected here as the lectotype in accordance with articles 9.3 and 9.12 of the ICN ( Turland et al., 2018).

Figures

Fig. 37. Lectotype of Justicia wynaadensis (Nees) T.Anderson (K001116152). © The Board of Trustees for the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew.Reproduced with permission.

Fig. 38. Justicia wynaadensis (Nees) T.Anderson:a. Habit;b. Inflorescence;c. Flower;d. Bract;e. Bracteoles–adaxial side;f. Calyx;g. Upper lip; h. Lower lip;i. Stamens;j. Gynoecium;k. Nectariferous disc;l. Capsule;m. Seeds (from P.Soumya & P.Sunojkumar 138520;photos by P.Soumya).

Fig. 39. Distribution of Justicia wynaadensis (Nees) T.Anderson in Peninsular India.Drawn using R (R Core Team,2023).