Justicia sprucei V. A. W. Graham

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

21. Justicia sprucei V. A. W. Graham , Kew Bull. 43 (4): 606. 1988. ( Graham 1988: 606)

Chaetochlamys ciliata Lindau , Bull. Herb. Boissier 5 (8): 677. 1897. ( Lindau 1897: 677) Type. BRAZIL. Para, Santorem, Spruce s. n. (holotype B †, photo of holotype F 0 BN 008898 , lectotype K- 000529280, designated by Wasshausen and Wood (2004: 77) with second step lectotypification here as the original lectotypification did not specify sheet, isolectotypes BM- 000992629, E- 00132480, K, NY- 00311860, OXF- 00009053).

Type.

Based on Chaetochlamys ciliata Lindau

Description.

Herb reaching c. 1 m in height, stems bifariously puberulent. Leaves shortly petiolate, lamina 6–15 × 2–4 cm, oblong, long-acuminate, base attenuate, glabrous except for the veins; petioles 0–12 mm. Inflorescence subcapitate arising from the uppermost leaf axils, the heads often restricted to a terminal pair subtended by reduced leaves; peduncles very short, 2–8 mm; bracts 12–15 × 2 mm, lanceolate, acuminate, long-ciliate with white hairs; bracteoles similar but narrower; calyx 5 - lobed, lobes 8–10 × 1 mm, lanceolate, finely acuminate, ciliate; corolla c. 35 mm long, white to pale purple, puberulent, the tube c. 2.5 cm long with a slightly bulbous base, then narrowed to c. 2 mm before gradually widening after 15 mm, lower lip with rounded lobes 6–7 × 6–8 mm; anther thecae superposed, oblong, parallel, 3 × 1 mm, the lower with a short basal appendage. Capsule 15 × 3–4 mm, ellipsoid with a long sterile base; seeds glabrous, smooth.

Phenology.

Found in flower in May.

Habitat.

Lowland rain forest often near streams.

Distribution.

Amazonian Brazil extending southwards to Rondonia, northern Bolivia and southwestern Peru and northwards into French Guyana; apparently uncommon. A new record for Peru. Fig. 60 .

Material examined.

Peru • Madre de Dios: Prov. Tahuamanu, km 62 carretera Iberia-Iñapari , cerca del aeropuerto, 25 May 1978, F. Encarnación 1152 (K, MO, US) .

Note.

The few subcapitate, mostly terminal inflorescences with ciliate bracts are very distinctive.

Figures

Figure 60. Distribution of Justicia riedeliana (blue circles), J. sprucei (yellow square), J. longibracteata (purple polygons) and J. rusbyi (red triangles) in Peru.