Justicia alpina subsp. machupicchuensis J. R. I. Wood & R. Villanueva, 2025

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

1 b. Justicia alpina subsp. machupicchuensis J. R. I. Wood & R. Villanueva subsp. nov.

Type.

Peru • Cusco, Prov. Urubamba, Dist. Machu Picchu, Urubamba Valley , E. K. Balls 6801 (holotype K-000544761 , isotypes BM, F, US) .

Diagnosis.

This subspecies is distinguished from alpina by the bracts which are distinct from the leaves and only those subtending the lowermost flower pair sometimes foliose, thus giving the spikes a naked appearance. The leaves are smaller, not exceeding 2.5 cm wide, always clearly ovate and sometimes with very short petioles <3 mm long. Pollen prolate, 49–54 × 28–31 μm, 2 - aperturate, colporate, 1 row of c. 6–8 peninsulae on either side of the aperture (Fig. 48 A ).

Illustration.

Figs 1 E – H , 2 .

Etymology.

This subspecies is named after the Inca site of Machu Picchu, from the surroundings of which almost all records come.

Phenology.

Flowers throughout the year.

Habitat.

Open places such as stone walls, disused terraces, rock ledges and grassy slopes in semi shade from 2200 to 3600 m approximately.

Distribution.

Endemic to two Andean departments of southern Peru and, with a single exception, restricted to the Machu Picchu area. Fig. 53 .

Material examined.

Peru • Cusco: Media Naranja hill, 8750 ft, 27 March 1959, S. G. E. Saunders 428 ( BM) . Prov. La Convención, Dist. Vilcabamba, Lucma Yupancca , 2640–2750 m, 4 June 2022, W. Galiano et al. 4327 ( CUZ) . Prov. Urubamba, on way to Yuncapata, Aug. 1941, C. Dreyfus s. n. ( USM 12766 ) ; • ibid., Dist. Machu Picchu, San Miguel Valley , 2400 m, 20 July 1928, F. Herrera 1995 ( F) ; • ibid., Machu Picchu [13°09'S, 72°31'W], 3 Aug. 1930, C. Vargas 3170 ( F) ; ibid., 200–300 m, 27 March 1942, C. Vargas 2636 ( CUZ) ; • ibid., Huayna Picchu, 2650 m, 21 July 1961, C. Vargas 13608 ( CUZ) ; • ibid., 12,000 ft, 9 May 1930 E. K. Balls 6801 ( BM, K, F, US) ; • ibid., 2200 m, Oct. 1931, F. Herrera 3203 ( F) ; • ibid., 3200 m, 16 May 1936, Y. Mexia 8081 ( K, MO, US) ; ibid., 8500 ft, 1 June 1937, D. Stafford 794 ( BM, F, K) ; • ibid., 12 Nov. 1937, D. Stafford 1222 ( BM, F, K) ; ibid., 2400 m, Feb. 1938, C. Vargas 842 ( F, CUZ, US) ; • ibid., 2200 m, 4 Feb. 1939, H. E. Stork et al. 10508 ( F) ; • ibid., 7500 ft, 29 March 1939, W. Balfour Gourlay 90 ( K) ; • ibid., 3800 m, 9 March 1943, M. Cardenas 2297 ( US) ; • ibid., just below ruins of Machu Picchu, 3 March 1958, D. S. Correll & E. E. Smith P 271 ( US) ; • ibid., 2300 m, 20 May 1958, Reitz 5984 ( US) ; • ibid., Valley of Urubamba river , 2400 m, 22 May 1958, H. Humbert 30685 ( US) ; ibid, 2500–2600 m, 3 Jan. 1963, H. Iltis et al. 1042 ( K, US) ; • ibid., 26 May 1963, D. & V. Ugent 5331 ( K, US) ; • ibid., Inca ruins of Machu Picchu , 2300 m, 14 March 1967, L. E. Skog 1133 ( US) ; • ibid, N of Cuzco , 12 July 1969, W. J. Colaris 1327 ( U) ; • ibid., above Machu Picchu, along old Inca trail , 2600 m, 17 April 1977, Al. Gentry et al. 19403 ( P, US) ; • ibid., between Machu Picchu and Waina Picchu , May 1980, W. G. D’Arcy 13747 ( MO) ; • ibid., Inca Trail Circuit, between Aguas Calientes town and Baños Termales , 13°09'S, 072°32'W, 2400–2700 m, Oct. 1986, A. Tupayachi 223 ( CUZ, US) ; • ibid., 13°09'S, 072°31'W, 2300–4150 m, 16–19 March 1988, P. Núñez & F. Luna 8877 ( CUZ, F, US) ; • ibid., around Huaynapicchu, 2000–2700 m, 30 March 1989, P. Nuñez & J. Smith 10332 ( CUZ) ; • ibid., Pampacachua Cedrobamba, 13°11'S, 72°27'W, 2415 m, 30 Dec. 2000, A. Tupayachi et al. 4441 ( CUZ) ; • ibid., Trocha Iran Bingham, 13°09'47"S, 72°13'19"W, 2207 m, 20 May 2003, I. Huamantupa et al. 3237 ( CUZ, MO) ; • ibid., Pampacahua, km. 94, 13°06'S, 72°16'W, 2376 m, 21 Jan. 2005, L. Valenzuela et al. 4615 ( BRIT, CUZ, MO, USM) ; • ibid., Puente ruinas Machu Picchu , 2000–2400 m, 17 March 1965, A. Aldave 4984 ( CUZ, HUT) ; • ibid., Aguas Calientes, near base of mountain to Machu Picchu , 13°09'17"S, 72°31'31"W, 2040 m, 26 May 2010, J. L. Clark et al. 11629 ( NY, US) . • Puno: Sandia, surroundings of Sandia [14°14'S, 69°26'W], 2250 m, 31 Jan. 1964, C. Vargas 015122 ( CUZ) .

Figures

Figure 1. Justicia alpina subsp. alpina A habit B calyx with bracts and bracteoles C bract D corolla opened out to show stamens. Justicia alpina subsp. machupicchuensis E habit F leaf showing shape and abaxial surface G detail of midvein of adaxial surface of leaf H ovary. A – D drawn from Sagástegui 7933 by Cathy Pasquale; E – H drawn from Ugent 5331 by Margaret Tebbs.

Figure 2. Photographs of Justicia alpina subsp. machupicchuensis, showing subsessile leaves, colour variation in corolla and prominent “ herring bone ” patterning A INaturalist B R. Foster C – D J. L. Clark

Figure 48. Pollen images A Justicia alpina subsp. machupicchuensis (Stafford 1222) B J. rojasiae (Vásquez et al. 28272) C J. pozuzoensis (Villanueva 925) D J. oppositiflora (Smith & Pretel 4189) E J. discolor subsp. discolor (Woytkowski 5824) F J. discolor subsp. filisepala (Beltrán 5429). Scale bars: 10 μm.

Figure 53. Distribution of Justicia alpina subsp. alpina (yellow squares) and J. alpina subsp. machupicchuensis (red circles) in Peru.