Justicia ekakusuma Pradeep & Sivar., Rheedea

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 : 287-289

Justicia ekakusuma Pradeep & Sivar., Rheedea 1: 40. 1991; Pramod & Pradeep, Fl. Madayippara 544. 2020. Type: INDIA, Kerala, Cannanore district, Payangadi, Madaipara , Pradeep 50401 (holo MH [ MH00003207 !], iso CALI [ CALI110599 !, CALI110600 !]). FigS. 9 & 10

Annual diffuse herbs, up to 9 cm tall. Stems erect, branched, quadrangular with minutely retrorse hairs at each angle; internodes 1–1.5 cm long, purplish. Leaves shortly petiolate; laminae ovate to elliptic, 0.5–1.5 × 0.4–0.9 cm, base cuneate, margins entire, apex acute or obtuse, glabrous or with scattered minute hairs, midrib distinct, lateral nerves indistinct; petioles 1–4 mm long, puberulous. Inflorescence terminal spike, up to 2 cm long or solitary flowers. Flowers sessile, two per floral node, 4–6 × 2–3 mm; bracts ovate to elliptic, foliaceous, 6–13 × 4–7 mm, apex acute, puberulous; bracteoles 2, linear or spatulate, 2–4.5 × 0.5–1.2 mm, green, glabrous, margins with scattered long setose hairs. Calyx deeply 4-lobed, 3–4 × 1–2 mm at anthesis, accrescent, pinkish green; lobes linear to lanceolate, equal, apex acute, glabrous, margins scarious with long setose hairs. Corolla pinkish with white striations on lower lip; tube c. 2 × c. 1 mm, white, glabrous outside and pubescent inside at throat; upper lip erect, triangular to ovate, c. 2.5 × 2 mm, apex emarginate, lobes rounded, cucullate; lower lip orbicular to obovate, c. 3 × 2.8 mm, 3-lobed at apex, lobes imbricate, apex obtuse. Stamens exserted; filaments 2 mm long, white, basally hirsute; anther thecae slightly superposed, equal, elliptic, 0.4 mm long, pinkish with yellow margin, glabrous; appendage c. 0.3 mm long, apex acute, white. Ovary ellipsoid, c. 1 × 0.5 mm, pale green, hirsute at apex; style slender, 2.5–3.25 mm long, whitish with pinkish tinge, hooked, hairy in lower half; nectariferous disc c. 0.4 mm high, pale yellow; stigma bifid. Capsule oblong, constricted around the middle, 3–3.5 × 1–1.3 mm, apex acute, purplish green to brown, minutely puberulous, retinacula minute. Seeds 4, cordate to oblong or sub-orbicular, compressed, 1–1.2 × 0.7–1 mm, distinctly margined, pale brown to black, margins shortly winged; testa rugulose.

Flowering & fruiting: Flowering towards the end of June to September; fruiting from September to October.

Habitat: Grows in humus on wet lateritic rocks at an elevation of around 45 m.

Distribution: Endemic to South India, hitherto known only from its type locality.

Specimens examined: INDIA, Kerala, Kannur district, Madayippara , near Madayikkavu., 25.07.2011, A . K . Pradeep & C . Pramod 126698; Ibid., near KSEB , 01.08.2010, s.coll. 126509; Ibid., near Joothakulam, 05.07.2017, P . Soumya & P . Sunojkumar 138542; Ibid. , 12.07.2018, P . Soumya, Adhitya & P . Sunojkumar 145390; Ibid. , on rocks near Madayi College, 02.08.2019, P . Soumya & P . Sunojkumar 157531 ( CALI) .

Conservation status: Justicia ekakusuma is known from the type locality Madayippara in Kannur district (earlier as ‘ Cannanore district’). During the present field study, first author observed about 30 mature individuals from the lateritic plateau near Joothakulam. The calculated AOO is 8 km 2. The type locality faces challenges as a tourist destination with its lateritic habitat adversely affected by waste dumping and use as a playground. Consequently , the population of this species has declined over the last three years. Considering these factors, this species is assessed here as Critically Endangered [ CR B2 ab(ii, iii, iv, v), D] .

Justicia gendarussa Burm.f., Fl. Ind. 10. 1768; Roxb. Fl. Ind. 1: 129. 1820; T.Anderson, J. Linn. Soc. Bot. 9: 513. 1867; C.B.Clarke in Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 4: 532. 1885; Gamble, Fl. Madras 2: 1079. 1921; L.H.Cramer, Revis. Handb. Fl. Ceylon 12: 115–116. 1998; Malik & Ghafoor in E.Nasir & S.I.Ali (eds.), Fl. Pakistan 188: 43. 1988; V.A.W.Graham, Kew Bull. 43: 589. 1988; J.R.I.Wood in A.J,C,Grierson & D.G.Long (eds.), Fl. Bhutan 2(3): 1287-1288. 2001; J.Q.Hu, Y.F.Deng & T.F.Daniel in Z.Y.Wu, P.H.Raven & D.Y.Hong (eds.), Fl. China 19: 457. 2011. Gendarussa vulgaris Nees in Wall ., Pl. Asiat. Rar. 3: 104. 1832; Wight, Icon. t. 468. 1841; Nees in DC., Prodr. 11: 410. 1847. Ecbolium gendarussa (Burm.f.) Kuntze Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 487 1891. Lectotype (designated by Deng, 2020): INDONESIA, Java, s.d., s.coll. s.n. (LINN [LINN-HS46-7 digital image!]). FigS. 11 & 12

Annual or perennial woody shrubs, up to 2 m tall. Stems erect, sub-terete, much branched; branches stout, purplish green, glabrous; internodes 3–8 cm long, nodes swollen. Leaves sub-sessile to petiolate; laminae narrowly lanceolate to elliptic, 3–10 × 1.5–2.5 cm, base cuneate, margins entire, apex acuminate to narrowly acute, chartaceous, glossy, glabrous on both surfaces; veins prominent, reddish brown, secondary veins 5–8 pairs, venation simple craspedodromous; petioles 3–8 mm long, puberulous. Inflorescence terminal dense spike, up to 12 cm long, many-flowered or solitary in lower axils; peduncles 0.5–1.5 cm long, glabrous. Flowers sessile, two per floral node, 1.5–1.8 × 0.5–0.7 cm; bracts narrowly lanceolate to triangular, 3.5–4 × c. 1 mm, margins ciliate, apex acuminate, single veined; bracteoles similar to bracts but narrower, c. 3.5 × 1 mm. Calyx 5-lobed, 6–8 × 2–2.5 mm at anthesis, accrescent, purplish green, pubescent outside; lobes narrowly lanceolate to triangular, sub-equal, 3–4.5 × 0.5–0.75 mm, margins narrowly scarious, ciliate, apex acuminate, puberulous. Corolla creamy white with purple striations on lips, puberulous outside, glabrous inside except in the throat; tube cylindrical, 6–8 × 2–25 mm; upper lip erect, triangular to ovate, 6–7 × 3.5–4 mm, apex acute, hooded; lower lip obovate to widely elliptic, 8–9 × 6.5–7 mm, 3-lobed; lobes equal, middle lobe broadly oblong, lateral lobes narrowly oblong and recurved, apex obtuse or acute. Stamens exserted; filaments 6–7 mm long, white, basally minutely hirsute; anther thecae superposed, equal, elliptic, 1.25–1.5 mm long, yellowish, glabrous; appendage, white, c. 1 mm long, apex acute, pointed. Ovary ellipsoid, 1.5–3 × 1.2–1.5 mm, pale green, glabrous; style slender, 1–1.25 cm long, recurved, whitish, minutely pubescent in lower half; stigma simple, capitate; nectariferous disc c. 0.7 × 1 mm, yellowish white. Capsule clavate, c. 1.2 × 0.3 cm, pale brown, glabrous. Seeds 2–4, ovoid to orbicular or sub-orbicular; testa tuberculate.

Flowering & fruiting: Flowering from November to April; fruiting from May to June.

Habitat: Found on the margins of evergreen forests and Ghat roadsides at an elevation of 50 to 1300 m. This species is commonly cultivated as medicinal plant and often as hedges and thickets on roadsides.

Distribution: It is native to South and Southeast Asia, but is widely cultivated and naturalized.

Specimens examined: INDIA, Karnataka, Bengaluru district , s.loc., 01.1988, W . Cameroon 85 ( MH) . Kerala, Alappuzha district , Kayamkulam, s.d., C . N . Sunil 1431 ( CALI); Idukki district, Chinnar , 26.09.1910, C . E .C. Fischer 2233 ( FRC); Rajakkad roadside, 28.08.2018, P . Soumya & P . Sunojkumar 138510 ( CALI); Kasaragod district, Peradala , 07.05.1982, V . J . Nair 71045 ( MH); Kollam district, Munroe Island , 26.12.1978, C . N . Mohanan 59666 ( MH); Palakkad district, Ottapalam, Ananganadi , 20.03.2017, P . Soumya & P . Sunojkumar 145362; Silent valley , 16.02.1983. K . S . Prasannan 11135 ( CALI); Pathanamthitta district, Kodumon 12.12.1979, C . N . Mohanan 63735 ( MH); Thiruvananthapuram district, Palode, JNTBGRI campus, 14.12.2011, Glasmin Syrin 71224 ( TBGT); Thrissur district , Vazhani Dam , 10.04.1977, K . Ramamurthy 49288 ( MH); Wayanad district, Puthoorvayal , 13.01.2000, Ratheesh Narayanan M . K . 1184; Vythiri veterinary collage, 13.02.2019, P . Soumya & P . Sunojkumar 138525 ( CALI) . Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore district , IFGTB forest campus, 25. 09. 2001, N . Venkatasubramanian & R . Tamilarasi s.n. ( FRC); Cuddalore district, Annamalai Nagar , 31.01.1958, K . M . Sebastine 5236 ( MH); Krishnagiri district , Kottur R . F ., 16.03.1978, M . Mohanan 54651 ( MH); Madurai district , s.loc., 09.11.1911, C . E .C. Fischer 3161 ( FRC); Mayiladuthurai district, Sirkazhi , 17.04.1987, S . Ragupathy 392 ( MH); Nilgiris district, Gudalur to Kollur , 23.02.1973, E . Vajravelu 43693 ( MH); Sivaganga district, Karaikudi , 30.11.1977, N . C . Nair 52985 ( MH); Thanjavur district, Pattukottai , 16.09.1977, K . Ramamurthy 51270 ( MH); Tirunelveli district , s.loc., 09.11.1959, K . M . Sebastine 9600; Manimuthar Tiger falls , 11.10.1957, K . M . Sebastine 4359 ( MH); Vellore district, Nellipattu , 03.04.1987, M . B . Viswanathan 1400 ( MH); Mysore & Carnatic, Herb. Ind. Or. Hook. f. & Thomson, G . Thomson s.n. ( MH) .

Conservation status: This species is assessed here as Least Concern (LC) as it is widely distributed and cultivated in Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

Figures

Fig. 9. Justicia ekakusuma Pradeep & Sivar.: a. Habit; b. Inflorescence; c. Flower; d. Flower bud; e. Bract; f. Bracteoles–adaxial side; g. Calyx; h. Calyx–opened; i. Corolla–opened; j. Upper lip; k. Lower lip; l. Stamens; m. Gynoecium; n. Capsule; o. Seeds (from P. Soumya & P. Sunojkumar 138542; photos by P. Soumya).

Fig. 10. Distribution of Justicia ekakusuma Pradeep & Sivar.in Peninsular India.Drawn using R (R Core Team,2023).

Fig. 11. Justicia gendarussa Burm.f.: a. Habit; b. Inflorescence; c. Flower; d. Bract; e. Bracteoles–abaxial side; f. Calyx; g. Calyx–opened; h. Corolla–opened; i. Upper lip; j. Lower lip; k. Stamens; l. Gynoecium; m. Nectariferous disc (from P. Soumya & P. Sunojkumar 138525; photos by P. Soumya).

Fig. 12. Distribution of Justicia gendarussa Burm.f. in Peninsular India. Drawn using R (R Core Team,2023).