Justicia sanchezioides Leonard

Villanueva-Espinoza, Rosa, Deng, Yunfei, Scotland, Robert & Wood, John R. I., 2025, Preliminary notes on Justicia (Acanthaceae) in Peru, PhytoKeys 258, pp. 1-123 : 1-123

12. Justicia sanchezioides Leonard , Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 31: 572. 1958. (Leonard 1958: 572)

Type.

Colombia • Dept. Putumayo, Puerto Ospina , J. Cuatrecasas 10581 (holotype US-00137162 , isotype COL-00004522 , F-0047448 F) .

Description.

Subshrub up to 3 m high; stems glabrous or nearly so. Leaves large, lamina 9–28 × 2–8 cm, oblong-elliptic, acuminate to an obtuse apex, base attenuate and decurrent on the petiole, glabrous, lateral veins prominent, 10–15 pairs; petioles 0.5–3 cm. Inflorescence a compact terminal panicle of 1 - several branched, hirsute spikes up to 12 cm long, hairs often golden; peduncles up to 2 cm; bracts 18–21 × 3–4 mm, oblong or lanceolate, thinly puberulent, bracteoles similar but only 1–2 mm wide; calyx 5 - lobed, lobes 11–15 × 2 mm, lanceolate, acute, thinly pubescent; corolla 4.5–5.5 cm long, reddish, glandular-puberulent, tube 2–3 cm long, upper lip emarginate, lower lip shallowly 3 - lobed, the lobes 4 × 3 mm; thecae superposed, oblong 2.5 × 1.25 mm, with a distinct basal appendage; pollen prolate, 58–68 × 34–35 μm, 2 - aperturate, colporate, 2 rows of c. 7–9 insulae on either side of aperture but second row grading into peninsulae ovary glabrous (Fig. 49 F , Kiel et al. 2018: 462). Capsule 20 × 4 mm, clavate, 4 - seeded, minutely glandular; seeds rugose, lenticular.

Illustration.

Fig. 14 E – H .

Habitat.

Lowland rainforest, often in gullies and by streams up to about 800 m.

Phenology.

Found in Flower from April to August.

Distribution.

Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, somewhat scattered and disjunct in several parts of its distribution. Fig. 57 .

Material examined.

Peru • Loreto: Prov. Maynas, southern side of Río Putumayo , near Puerto Leguizamo 0 ° 11 ' 38 ” – 0°12'09"S, 74 ° 47 ' 16 ” – 74°49'34"W, Suarez et al. 1314 ( COAH) . • San Martin: Prov. Tocache [Mariscal Cáceres], Tocache Nuevo – Juanjuí road, 89 km de Tocache Nuevo, 7°43'S, 76°40'W, 810 m, 23 July 1982, D. N. Smith 2148 ( US) ; • ibid., Dist. Pólvora, Puerto Pizana (margen derecha del Río Huallaga ) [8°01'S, 76°39'W], 10 April 1971, J. Schunke Vigo 4809 ( COL, F, K, MO, USM) ; • ibid., Puerto Pizana, Río Huallaga [8°01'S, 76°39'W], 350 m, 4 June 1974, J. Schunke Vigo 6909 (F, MO, US, USM) ; • ibid., Chauyauyacu, cerca de Canuto, 10 Aug. 1979, 600 m, R. Ferreyra 19291 ( USM) ; • ibid., Dist. Tocache [Nuevo], carretera al Río Tocache , 400 m, 2 Aug. 1969, J. Schunke Vigo 3278 (F, K, US, USM) ; • ibid., 14 April 1970, J. Schunke Vigo 3901 (F, K, US, USM) ; • ibid., Cerro de Palo Blanco , 15 km from Tocache Nuevo, 700–800 m, 15 July 1982, A. Meerow et al. 1009 ( FLAS) ; • ibid., Quebrada Cachuyacu de Huaquisha, margen derecha del Río Huallaga , 17 May 1970, J. Schunke Vigo 3989 (F, K, US, USM) ; • ibid., camino a Santa Rosa, margen derecha del Río Mishollo , 350–370 m, 5 Aug. 1973, J. Schunke Vigo 6734 (F, MO, US, USM) ; • ibid., Quebrada de Yacu Sisa (camino a Shunté), 800–850 m, 18 July 1974, J. Schunke Vigo 7557 ( US, USM) ; • ibid., Almendras camino a Pueblo Viejo, 400 m, 21 April 1975, J. Schunke Vigo 8194 ( US) ; • ibid., Cerro de Palo Blanco , 450–600 m, 14 June 1978, J. Schunke Vigo 10236 ( MO) ; • ibid., Palo Blanco, above Río Tocache , 500–550 m, 29 June 1978, T. Plowman & J. Schunke Vigo 7457 ( COL, F, K, U, US, USM) ; • ibid., Trocha a Cañutillo, cerca Cerro Palo Blanco, 800–850 m, 6 May 1980, J. Schunke Vigo 11559 ( MO, US) ; • ibid., Cachuyacu de Huaquisha , 500–600 m, 9 Dec. 1980, J. Schunke Vigo 12458 ( BR, F, K, L, MO, NA, US, USM) .

Note.

Leonard (1958) failed to note the similarity between Justicia sanchezioides and J. pelianthia . The former resembles a more robust bracteate version of the latter with larger flower parts, particularly the longer calyx.

The following plants from Huánuco may represent a distinct species. They differ by their large bracts 31–40 (– 60) × 7–10 (– 12) mm and anthers with a very short basal appendage.

Additional material examined.

Peru • Huánuco: Leoncio Prado , Dist. Hermilio Valdizan [9°56'59"S, 76°15'04"W], cerca de la Divisoria, 1500–1600 m, 21 June 1976, J. Schunke Vigo 9331 (F, MO, US) ; • ibid., La Divisoria , 9°56'59"S, 76°15'04"W, 1550 m, 17 April 1976, T. Plowman 5919 ( US) .

Figures

Figure 14. Justicia pelianthia A habit B bracts, bracteoles and calyx C bract D corolla. Justicia sanchezioides E inflorescence F bracts with detail of cystoliths on surface and indumentum G bract with detail of venation H corolla and stamens. Justicia siraensis I inflorescence J bracts K calyx L corolla. A, D drawn from Klug 1429 by Cathy Pasquale E, H drawn from Schunke 4809 by Alice Tangerini I, L drawn from Wasshausen & F. Encarnación 529 by Alice Tangerini.

Figure 49. Pollen images A Justicia chamaecaulis (Encarnación 927) B J. appendiculata (Villanueva 916) C J. pelianthia (McDaniel 21499) D J. tumbesiana (Diaz 5081) E J. aphelandroides (Wurdack 2245) F J. sanchezioides (Schunke 12458). Scale bars: 10 μm.

Figure 57. Distribution of Justicia pelianthia (yellow triangles) and J. sanchezioides (blue circles) in Peru.