Justica dryadum Wassh. & J. R. I. Wood

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

28. Justica dryadum Wassh. & J. R. I. Wood , Kew Bull. 58 (4): 813. 2003. ( Wasshausen and Wood 2003: 813)

Type.

Bolivia • La Paz, Sud Yungas, P. N. Pilon Lajas , D. C. Wasshausen & J. R. I. Wood 2196 (holotype US-00731139 [Cat. No 3455450], isotypes K-001256339 , LPB-0000410 , US-02878814 ) .

Description.

Perennial herb to 1 m in height, stems bifariously pilose. Leaves petiolate, lamina (2 –) 6–16 × (1 –) 2–8.5 cm, oblong-elliptic or obovate-oblong, acuminate, falcate, attenuate at the base, pilose on both surfaces, cystoliths prominent above; petioles 0.3–2 cm long. Inflorescence a large terminal panicle up to 25 × 20 cm; flowers arranged in pairs; branches repeatedly 3 - forked, glandular-pilose; floral bracts 1–2.5 mm long, linear-lanceolate, shortly glandular-pilose; calyx c. 3 mm long, subequally 5 - lobed to near the base, lobes linear-lanceolate, glandular; corolla c. 11 mm long, glabrous except for a few hairs on the exterior of the lips, tube pale cream c. 1.5 mm wide at base, upper lip c. 3.5 mm long, entire, lower lip c. 4 mm long, 3 - lobed, the lobes c. 1.5 × 1 mm, ovate, rounded, purplish except for distinct “ herring bone ” patterning; anther thecae weakly superposed, violet, c. 0.5 mm long; pollen 18 × 13 μm, 2 - aperturate ( Wasshausen and Wood 2003: 803). Capsule 8.5–10 × 2–2.5 mm, oblong-clavate, minutely glandular-pilose; seeds c. 2 × 2 mm, ovate, lenticular, minutely pustulate.

Illustration.

Wasshausen and Wood 2003: 803 (pollen), 814 (habit and floral details).

Phenology.

Flowering in the winter dry season, principally from July to October.

Habitat.

Moist lowland rainforest, 200– 500 m.

Distribution.

Northern Bolivia and southern Peru. New record for Peru. Fig. 62 .

Material examined.

Peru • Cusco: Prov. Paucartambo, Dist. Kosñipata, near junction Río Carbon with Río Alto Madre de Dios, 6–7 Aug. 1974, H. Brokaw, M. Brockaw & R. Foster et al. 3045 (F) . • Madre de Dios: Prov. Manu, P. N. del Manu, Coca Cashu Station , 350 m, 11°50'S, 71°25'W, 31 Aug. 1984, R. Foster 9936 (F, MO, USM) ; • ibid., Río Palotoa, NW of Shintuya, 500 m, 26–28 Aug. 1978, R. Foster & J. Terborgh 6734 (F) ; • ibid., zona reservada del P. N. del Manu, 350 m, 4–22 Sept. 1989, A. Tupayachi 1201 ( CUZ). Prov. Tambopata, Dist. Las Piedras, Cusco Amazónico, Inventario Permanente , Trocha B, 12°29'S, 69°03'W, 200 m, Aug. 1991, M. Timaná 1991 ( MO) ; • ibid., 10 Oct. 1991, M. Timaná & N. Jaramillo 2532 ( MO) .

Note.

Close to Justicia tenuiflora Ruiz & Pav. , differing in the pubescent leaves which lack the long-attenuate leaf base of that species, by the presence of warty outgrowths on the lower part of the stem, and the shorter, lilac, not red corollas.

Figures

Figure 62. Distribution of Justicia dryadum (red circles), J. tenuiflora (green triangles) and J. warmingii (blue squares) in Peru.