Justicia siraensis Wassh.

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

15. Justicia siraensis Wassh. , Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien, B 108 B: 171. 2006 [May 2007]. ( Wasshausen 2007: 171)

Type.

Peru • Huánuco, Prov. Pachitea, Pucallapa region, Sira Mountains , 9°29'S, 74°50'W, 300–360 m, 15 July 1988, B. Wallnöfer 14-15788 (holotype W (not seen), isotype US-00902118 ) .

Description.

Subshrub 2–2.5 m high; stems glabrous below, bifariously scurfy-puberulent above. Leaves shortly petiolate, lamina 10–20 × 3.5–7 cm, broadly oblong-elliptic to narrowly ovate, apex acute to shortly acuminate, base attenuate, ± glabrous; petioles 0.5–1 cm. Inflorescence of 1–3 dense, terminal spikes, 3–10 cm long, these simple or forked; peduncles 1–2 cm, rhachis puberulent; bracts 6.5–9 × 2 mm, often indurate, narrowly linear-lanceolate, ciliolate; bracteoles 6 × 1–1.5 mm; calyx subequally 5 - lobed, lobes 9–10 × 1 mm, narrowly lanceolate, ciliolate; corolla 4.5–5.5 cm long, red, papillate, tube 2.5–3 cm, upper lip 1.8–2 cm, minutely notched, lower lip 3 - lobed, lobes c. 2 mm long, rounded, cuculate; anther thecae oblong, 1.2 mm long, parallel, weakly superposed, both with a basal appendage; pollen prolate, 50 × 29 μm, 2 - aperturate, colporate, 1 row of c. 6–7 insulae on either side of aperture. Capsule 14–15 × 2.9–3.6 mm, clavate, 4 - seeded.

Illustration.

Figs 14 I – L , 15 ; Wasshausen 2007: 172.

Phenology.

Found in flower in January and February and from June to August.

Habitat.

Rainforest in the Andean foothills 300–1500 m.

Distribution.

Endemic to Peru, occurring in scattered locations from Cusco north to San Martin. Fig. 58 .

Material examined.

Peru • Ayacucho: Prov. La Mar, Trail between Santa Rosa and Sanabamba , 700 m, 9 June 1975, D. C. Wasshausen & F. Encarnación 529 ( US) . Cusco: Prov. La Convención, Dist. Echarate, Río Manguriari, Alto Urubamba , 12°47'S, 72°40'W, 750 m, 2 Feb. 1991, P. Nuñez et al. 12947 ( MO) ; • ibid., Alto Manguriari , 700 m, 4 Aug. 1990, G. Ortiz 4 ( CUZ 027839 ) . • Huánuco: Prov. Puerto Inca [Pachitea], Dist. Honoria, Miel de Abejas , Río Pachitea , 300–400 m, 19 July 1967, J. Schunke Vigo 2123 ( F, HOXA, K, US, USM) . • Junín: Prov. Satipo, Dist. Río Tambo, sector Shimabenzo , Feb. 2012, J. L. Marcelo Pena 6350 ( MOL) ; • ibid., Com. Nat. Pichiquia, Parque Nacional Otishi , 11°22'12"S, 74°22'19"W, 1348 m, 13 July 2013, L. Valenzuela et al. 25086 ( HOXA, USM) . • Loreto: Prov. Ucayali, Dist. Pampa Hermosa, Parque Nacional Cordillera Azul. Sector Shanshuico , 7°20'54"S, 76°00'33"W, 421 m, R. Vásquez et al. 41728 ( USM, HOXA) . • Pasco: Prov. Oxapampa, Dist. Pozuzo, Alto Lagarto a Pozuzo Alto Victoria , 10°07'09"S, 75°29'25"W, 1500 m, 29 June 2008, R. Rojas & G. Ortiz 5846 ( HOXA, MO, USM) ; • ibid., Dist. Palcazú, Com. Nat. Alto Lagarto-Convento (Reserva Comunal Yanesha) , 10°08'04"S, 75°22'06"W, 500 m, 30 July 2014, R. Rojas & G. Ortiz 9355 ( HOXA, HUT) . • San Martin: Prov. Mariscal Cáceres, Dist. Campanilla, Cachihuañusca , 21 Aug. 1970, J. Schunke Vigo 4285 ( F, US) ; • ibid. Dist. Juan Jui, Alto Río Huallaga , 400–800 m, Jan. 1936, G. Klug 4202 ( BM, F, K. U, US, USM) .

Note.

Differs somewhat unsatisfactorily from Justicia rauhii principally by the red corolla 4.5–5.5 cm long.

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 15. Photographs of Justicia siraensis by Rosa Villanueva.

Figure 58. Distribution of Justicia beckii (yellow triangles), J. rauhii (green circles) and J. siraensis (red squares) in Peru.