Justicia amplifolia T.F. Daniel, 2019

Daniel, Thomas F., 2019, New and Reconsidered Mexican Acanthaceae XIII. Justicia, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 66 (3), pp. 61-85 : 78-83

Justicia amplifolia T.F. Daniel , nom nov.

Sericographis macrophylla Oerst., Vidensk. Meddel. Dansk Naturhist. Foren. Kjøbenhavn 1854: 149 . 1855,

non Justicia macrophylla Spreng. (1824, as “1825”). Jacobinia macrophylla (Oerst.) Benth. & Hook.f.

ex Hemsl., Biol. Cent.- Amer., Bot. 2: 521. 1882. TYPE.— MEXICO. Veracruz: Sta. María Tlapacoyo ,

[ Tlapacoyan, ca. 19°57′37.67′′N, 097°11′24.84′′W], V-1841 (flr), F. Liebmann (Liebm. Pl. Mex. Nr.)

10666 (lectotype, designated here: C!; isolectotypes: CAS!, K!, K ex hb. Hook.!, P!). Figures 3 , 5 , 11 ,

12 .

Erect perennial herbs to shrubs to 2 m tall. Young stems distally quadrate and 2-sulcate, nearly glabrous or 2-fariously pubescent (trichomes sometimes only along a portion of internodes) with flexuose to antrorse eglandular trichomes to 1.8 mm long, proximally quadrate and sometimes glabrate. Leaves sessile to subsessile, naked petiole (if present) to 2 mm long, blades ovate-elliptic to elliptic to broadly elliptic to obovate-elliptic, 100–340 mm long, 55–146 mm wide, 1.4–2.8 × longer than wide, rounded and abruptly acute to apiculate at apex, broadly attenuate or rounded and ± abruptly constricted at base and sometimes ± auriculate-clasping there, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface glabrous, both surfaces minutely and inconspicuously punctate glandular, punctations <0.05 mm diam. and sometimes drying dark reddish or black, margin entire, proximally ciliate with eglandular trichomes to 1.8 mm long. Inflorescence of axillary (in distal 1–2 pairs of leaves or reduced leaves, 1–2 per axil, opposite at nodes) and /or terminal pedunculate panicles of unilateral dichasiate spikes, these sometimes collectively forming a dense and broad cluster of flowers, peduncles of panicles to 50 mm long, ± glabrous or pubescent like young stems, rachis glabrous; dichasia mostly 1 per node (alternate), 1 per axil, 1-flowered, sessile to subsessile (i.e., with peduncles <1 mm long). Bracts subtending dichasia opposite to subopposite, homomorphic, broadly triangular, 1–2 mm long, 1–1.2 mm wide, abaxially glabrous. Bracteoles narrowly triangular to broadly triangular, 1–2 mm long, 0.4–0.8 mm wide, abaxially glabrous. Flowers sessile to subsessile (i.e., with pedicels to 0.5 mm long). Calyx 5-lobed, 3–5 mm long, lobes homomorphic, lance-subulate, 2–3 mm long, 0.8–1 mm wide, abaxially and marginally glabrous. Corolla orange, 25–42 mm long, externally glabrous except for very sparse and inconspicuous stipitate glandular trichomes <0.05 mm long, these located mostly or entirely on the distal portion of the corolla tube and/or limb, tube 14–31 mm long, gradually expanded distally (i.e., no clear distinction between narrow proximal portion and throat), 3.5–4.5 mm diam. (measured flat) at mouth, upper lip 9–18 mm long, apically entire to very shallowly 2-fid, lower lip recoiled, 9–20, lobes 1–1.5 mm long, 1.5–2 mm wide. Stamens 9–19 mm long, filaments glabrous, thecae 2.5–3 mm long, those of a pair sagittate, subequally to unequally inserted (overlapping by up to 2.6 mm), equal to subequal in length, glabrous, lacking basal appendages. Pollen 2-aperturate, apertures consisting of a relatively short colpus (brevicolpate) and a prominent os, flanked on each side by 2–3 rows of insulae (farthest rows from aperture sometimes consisting partially or entirely of peninsulae). Style 20–45 mm long, glabrous; stigma oblong, 0.2–0.4 mm long, unequally and inconspicuously 2-lobed. Capsule not seen (ovary glabrous).

PHENOLOGY.— Flowering: March–June; fruiting: unknown.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITATS.— Mexico (Puebla and Veracruz; Fig. 5 ); plants occur in gallery forests and in disturbed areas (e.g., roadsides, cultivated lands) at elevations of 690–977 meters. The species is known in cultivation, and some collections noted below might pertain to remnants or escapes therefrom.

USE.— Planted for living fence (Amith et al. s.n.).

CONSERVATION.— Based on the six collections that are potentially from native habitats, the EOO = 3,343 km 2, the AOO = 20 km 2, and the greatest linear extent of the distributional range of the species ( NW – SE) is 158 km. The lectotype is likely from an area that is now protected, the Parque Estatal Río Filobobos y su Entorno. Threats have not been identified for this species, although some likely exist. Thus , the number of locations is unclear. Given these data, and the likelihood that some of the collections cited represent cultivated or naturalized plants, this species is provisionally assessed as Data Deficient ( DD) .

ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED.— MEXICO. Puebla: Mpio. Cuetzalan, between San Miguel Tzinacapan and Ayotzinapan , en el pueblo de Tecoloapa , 20°02′54.63′′N, 097°32′20.72′′W, J . Amith & P . Mendoza 1419 ( CAS; MEXU-image only); Mpio. Cuetzalan, San Miguel, [ca. 20°01′52.83′′N, 097°32′33.91′′W], J . Amith et al. s.n. in 2015 ( CAS); Mpio. Zongozotla, carr. Zongozotla – Cuautempan, en la cascada Tuxpinicin , 19.98164, -97.75716, C . Ledesma C., O . López F. & A . Sotero H . 21907 ( CAS); Mpio. Zihuateutla, Zihuateutla, 40 m de la clínica de Zihuateutla, en la casa de Regina Villegas , 20.25152, -97.88684, C . Ledesma C . et al. 86044 (CAS). Veracruz: Mirador [ca. 19°12′N, 096°52′W], F . Liebmann ( Liebm. Pl. Mex. Nr. ) 10667 (syntype: C!) . Cultivation: Selby Botanical Gardens (ex Gardino Nursery, Delray Beach , Florida ), H . Luther s.n. in 2006 ( CAS), in 2009 ( CAS) .

DISCUSSION.— A lectotype is designated above from the original material at C, where the first set of Liebmann’s collections from Mexico and Central America is deposited, and where Oersted studied them. Oersted (1855) cited two collections of Liebmann from Veracruz, a syntype from Mirador (Liebmann 10667) and the lectotype noted above. From the original material, Liebmann’s flowering collection with the larger leaves, represented by several duplicate specimens, is chosen as the lectotype. An unpublished illustration at C, bearing Oersted’s name for the species in his handwriting, is also likely original material ( Fig. 11 ) .

In 1977 Wasshausen annotated, as Jacobinia macrophylla , two Mexican specimens from Veracruz at P that were collected by Hahn in 1866 at Chiquihuite (Cerro del Chiquihuite, ca. 18°56′14′′N, 96°46′22′′W) and at “ Veracruz.” Both superficially resemble J. amplifolia by their large leaves. However leaves on both collections differ from those of J. amplifolia by having petioles much longer than 2 mm and blades pubescent and narrowly attenuate at the base. Additionally, collector’s notes on the specimen from Chiquihuite indicate that the corollas were brilliant red. The identity or identities of these two plants will require additional study.

Daniel (1995) included this species in, and annotated specimens of it as, Justicia spicigera . Subsequent studies of recent collections and living plants (e.g., at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Fig. 12 ) reveal it to be at least as distinct from that species as J. leonardii . Justicia spicigera , which has human uses (medicine, dye, ornament) and does not often produce fruits, might have been derived from J. leonardii by early human cultivation/selection. If so, it is possible that J. amplifolia , which has at least ornamental uses, might also be a human-influenced derivative of either J. spicigera or J. leonardii . All three species are cultivated and share several characteristics, including orangish corollas with the lower lip recoiled. Pollen of J. amplifolia is similar to but appears to differ slightly from that of J. spicigera and J. leonardii by it shorter colpi. Additional distinctions among them are noted in the key above under J. totonaca .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Scanning electron micrographs of Justicia pollen I. A–C. Justicia amplifolia. A. Apertural view (Amith & Mendoza 1419). B. Apertural view (Luther s.n.). C. Interapertural view (Luther s.n.). D–F. Justicia alanae (Toriz A. et al. 320). D. Apertural view. E. Interapertural view. F. Polar view. Scales = 10 µm.

FIGURE 5. Map of part of southern Mexico showing distributions of Justicia amplifolia, J. matudae, J. mexiae, and J. olmeca.

FIGURE 11. Justicia amplifolia. Drawing of Sericographis macrophylla (presumably by Oersted) at C showing (from left): calyx subtended by a bract and two bracteoles, bract, bracteole, a corolla cut open showing insertion of filaments, apex of style with stigma, and several views of the bithecous anthers. Used with permission of, and copyright reserved to, the herbarium (C) at the Natural History Museum of Denmark.

FIGURE 12. Justicia amplifolia. Habit (top left), shoot with inflorescence showing large leaves (top right), inflorescence (bottom left), flower from below (bottom right). Photos of cultivated plants taken at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden by the author, except photo of flower by J. Amith (used with permission) taken in Puebla.