Justicia chimboracensis 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

3. Justicia chimboracensis Wassh. , Fl. Ecuador 89: 138. 2013. ( Wasshausen 2013: 138)

Justicia loxensis Wassh. , Fl. Ecuador 89: 138. 2013. ( Wasshausen 2013: 138) syn. nov. Type. ECUADOR. Loja, road from Loja to Zaruma, between Chinches and Sambi, Harling & Andersson 14236 (holotype GB- 14236, isotype US- 01106144).

Type.

Ecuador • Chimborazo, Canyon of Río Chanchan, 5 km N of Huigra, W. H. Camp E- 3285 (holotype US-01106141 , isotypes CAS-560569 , COL, K-000543842 , M-0244152 , MO-3085139 , NY-2685706 , P-04023385 , S-12-734 , US-02878220 ) .

Description.

Perennial herb resembling J. alpina and J. cuspidulata in habit, shortly petiolate leaves and terminal spicate inflorescence with 4 - lobed calyx, large reddish corollas and weakly superposed, basally muticous anther thecae. It is distinguished by the larger, 3.5–9 (– 14) × 1.5–5 (– 6.5) cm, ovate to oblong-elliptic leaves, which are apically acute to shortly acuminate and basally attenuate and decurrent onto petioles 0.5–2 cm long; also by the generally shorter, laxer spikes 4–10 cm long which usually scarcely exceed the subtending leaf pair, by the calyx lobes filiform apically, ± equalling the bracteoles and by the distinctly larger corolla 2.8–4.5 cm long, which lacks “ herring bone ” patterning.

Illustration.

Fig. 4 ; Wasshausen (2013: 127, 139); Sagástegui-Alva et al. (2003: 52).

Phenology.

Flowers from February to July.

Habitat.

1400–2000 (– 2500) m, scrubby banks.

Distribution.

Southern Ecuador and northwest Peru in the departments of Amazonas, Cajamarca and Lambayeque. Fig. 55 .

Material examined.

Peru • Amazonas: Prov. Chachapoyas, 11 km E of Chachapoyas on road to Molinopampa, 1850 m, 23 Feb. 1978, D. C. Wasshausen & F. Encarnación 980 (K, US); • ibid., Chachapoyas, outside town on road to Mendoza, 1500 m, 10 April 2001, H. van der Werff et al. 16872 ( USM); Prov. Bongara, Río Utcubamba, 18–19 km below Caclic, 1500 m, 15 June 1964, P. C. Hutchison & J. K. Wright 5857 ( USM); • ibid., road from Puente Inferno to Chachapoyas, Río Utcubamba, 1420 m, 25 Feb. 1976, T. Plowman 5556 ( USM); • ibid., km 19 Pedro Ruiz a Chachapoyas, Oct. 1990, F. Kahn & F. Moussa 2745 ( USM); • ibid., Dist. Churuha, Catarata Ashpachaca, entre Pedro Ruiz y Chachapoyas, 6°00'48.5"S, 77°55'02.3"W, 512 m, 2 May 2024, D. Aybar 009 ( MOL); Prov. Luya, Dist. El Tingo, entre Cacle y Pedro Ruiz, 1470 m, 7 July 2001, I. Sánchez Vega & A. Delgado Salinas 10813 ( CPUN, US). • Cajamarca: Prov. Contumazá, 28 km below Contumazá towards Cascas, 7°25'S, 78°25'W, 1835–1900 m, 14 April 1986, M. O. Dillon et al. 4506 ( BM, MO); • ibid., La Montaña (Guzmango-Contumazá), 2500 m, 18 May 1979, A. Sagástegui et al. 9310 ( HUT, US); • ibid., Dist. San Benito, Andaloy, San Benito – Yeton, 2000 m, 23 March 1988, A. Sagástegui et al. 13047 (F, HUT, MO, US). Prov. Jaén, 500 m, 27 March 1960, F. Woytkowski 5606 ( US). • La Libertad: Prov. Otuzco, entre Huaranchal and Chuiquizongo, 2000 m., 8 June 1958, A. López et al. 2706 ( HUT, US). Prov. Gran Chimú, Corlas (Cascas – Contumazá), 1400 m, 16 Feb. 1995, A. Sagástegui & S. Leiva 15512 (F, MO). • Lambayeque: road to Jaén, 38.6 km east of Olmos, west side of Abra Porculla [5°51'S, 79°30'W], 1570 m, 14 March 1964 P. C. Hutchison & J. K. Wright 4431 ( MO, US, USM).

Notes.

This plant is somewhat variable. At one extreme, Sagástegui et al. 13047 has a corolla 4–4.5 cm long and obscurely puberulent calyx lobes, thus fitting J. loxensis rather well. At the other extreme, Wasshausen & Encarnación 980 has a shorter corolla c. 3.5 cm long, similar to the type of J. chimboracensis , but with a pubescent calyx. Other specimens lie between the two extremes.

Specimens of this plant collected in Peru were generally identified in herbaria as Justicia chachapoyasensis ( Rhytiglossa hookeriana ), possibly because it grows near Chachapoyas. The species appear to be related but the inflorescence, corolla and calyx lobes are different.

Figures

Figure 4. Photographs of Justicia chimboracensis. Note the absence of “ herring bone ” patterning and the muticous thecae held at different angles. Photographs by Rosa Villanueva

Figure 55. Distribution of Justicia chimboracensis (yellow circles), J. pozuzoensis (green triangles) and J. oppositiflora (red squares) in Peru.