Justicia paracambi D.M. Braz, 2015

Braz, Denise Monte, 2015, Justicia paracambi, a new Brazilian species of Acanthaceae, Phytotaxa 236 (2), pp. 184-190 : 185-187

Justicia paracambi D.M. Braz , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–4 )

Type:— BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: Paracambi, Parque Natural Municipal do Curió. Ocorrendo na bifurcação na trilha à direita. “Erva ca. 70 cm alt., corola bilabiada branca, cálice e brácteas verdes. Inflorescência laxa”, 18 March 2009, Braz, Souza, Marinot & Fraga 157 (holotype RBR!, isotype RB!).

Differs from other species of the genus by the erect herbaceous habit, up to 0.8 m high, glabrous branches and leaves, sessile leaves 15.5– 23.6 x 5.3–7.4 cm, the terminal panicle of decussate spikes and flowers, these lax, the bracts 4.1–4.4 × 0.7–1.0 mm, the calyx 5-lobed and covered with simple and glandular trichomes, the white to greenish corolla, 7–9.1 mm long, the anthers with theca almost at right angles and superposed, the lower thecae with a basal appendage, and the seeds borderless, slightly compressed and tuberculate.

Herb 50–80 cm high, stem glabrous, cylindrical at base, compressed toward apex, cystoliths prominent. Leaves sessile, blade 15.5–23.6 × 5.3–7.4 cm, elliptic, apex acute, base cuneate, slightly auriculate, glabrous on both surfaces, cystoliths dense, especially in the middle vein on the lower surface, secondary veins broquidodromous, 16–17 pairs. Inflorescence a terminal panicle of decussate spikes, lax, 12.9–29 cm long, flowers decussate, peduncle 63–92 mm long; bracts and bracteoles green, subulate, subciliate, bracts 4.1–4.4 × 0.7–1.0 mm; bracteoles 3.3–4.0 × 0.5–0.6 mm; rachis, bracts and bracteoles densely covered in glandular and non-glandular trichomes. Flowers sessile or pedicel up to 2.6 mm long; calyx green, 5-lobed to near the base, 4.6–6.1 × 0.5–0.8 mm, lobes subulate, with scattered glandular and non-glandular trichomes, sometimes ciliate; corolla bilabiate, white, sometimes slightly green at throat, 7–9.1 mm long, glabrous, upper lip triangular, 4–4.8 mm long, 2.9–3.5 mm wide. at base, the 2 lobes ca. 2 mm long, lower lip with 3 lobes oblong, truncate at apex, 2.8–3.3 × 1.9–2.3 mm; filaments 3.1–4.2 mm long, inserted 2.8–4.3 mm above the corolla base, glabrous, anthers 0.8–1.1 × 0.3–0.5 mm, glabrous, but with a line of whitish trichomes abaxially, the two thecae somewhat separated by the expanded connective, superposed, subdivergent, upper thecae almost perpendicular, slightly asymmetric, lower thecae appendiculate at base, appendage 3-lobed, 0.6–0.8 mm long, whitish, swollen; pollen 2-colporate, prolate, 21–28 × 15–20 μm, 2 narrow ribs associated with each aperture, not joining the others at the poles, exine reticulate; nectariferous disk expanded, 0.3–0.5 mm tall, ovary subcylindrical, 1.5–2.5 mm long., 0.6–0.8 mm diam., glabrous, style ca. 5.1 mm long, base with scattered glandulous trichomes. Capsule subclavate to subfusiform, 8.2–11.8 mm long, 1.1–1.7 mm diam., densely glandular pilose, seeds lenticular, 1.7–1.9 × 0.8–1 mm, tuberculate over entire surface.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— BRAZIL. Paracambi, RJ, Parque Natural Municipal do Curió, 2008, Braz 166 (RBR). ib., 4 Septemer 2009, Braz 275, Souza & Moraes (RBR). ib., 22 November 2010 (fl/fr), Braz 337 & Souza (RBR). ib., 1 April 2011 (fl/fr), Braz 363 & Souza (RBR).

Distribuition and habit: —The new species is so far known only from the type locality, the Parque Natural Municipal do Curió, Municipality of Paracambi, in the southern part of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. It grows in dense forest and especially near watercourses at low altitudes. Phenology: —It flowers and fruits almost all year, but especially between September and November.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Justiciaparacambi in the ParqueNatural Municipal do Curió (Curió Municipal Natural Park), Paracambi,RJ, Brazil:a) Sterile individuals; b) Stem and leaves; c) Flowering plant; d) Terminal inflorescence showing decussate spikes and flowers; e) Inflorescence with decussate flowers; f) Flowers in lateral view; g) Flower in frontal view.

FIGURE 2. Justicia paracambi: a) Cystoliths in the stem; b) Cystoliths in the middle vein of the upper leaf surface; c) Bract, bracteoles, calyx and glabrous corolla; d) Rachis, bracts, bracteoles and calyx with dense glandular and non-glandular trichomes; e) A pair of the bithecae anthers; f) The basal appendage of the anthers in detail; g) Seed with tuberculate surface.

FIGURE 3. Justicia paracambi: a) Flowering stem; b) Inflorescence with buds and one open flower; c) Bract, bracteole and calyx; d) Corolla, frontal view; e) Open corolla with the epipetalous stamens; f) Stamen; g) Gynoecium; h) Glandular and non-glandular trichomes on the rachis. Drawn from Braz 166 (RBR).