Pseuderanthemum variabile (R. Br.) Radlk.

Daniel, Thomas F., 2015, Additional Notes on North American Acanthaceae: Biogeography, Distributions, Taxonomy, Lectotypifications, and Catalog of Species, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 62 (17), pp. 417-432 : 424-427

Pseuderanthemum variabile (R. Br.) Radlk.

UNITED STATES. Florida. Orange Co.: NW side of Lake Wauseon , several plants spontaneous in highly mulched backyard, 13 Oct 1993 (flr), N. Coile 7009 ( US).

Louisiana. East Baton Rouge Parish: garden of house on Pastureview Drive, Baton Rouge, 22 Oct 2004 (flr, frt), M. Standifer s.n. ( LSU).

This herbaceous species, which is native to New Guinea, New Caledonia, and tropical and temperate regions of Australia ( Barker 1986), and which is apparently not cultivated in the United States, was noted to be an outdoor garden or yard weed on the collections noted above from

Louisiana and Florida. Previously it has been reported in the United States as a weed in and around greenhouses in Florida and South Carolina ( Nelson and Kelly 1997). Indeed, it also occurs as a greenhouse weed in California (e.g., Daniel s.n., CAS, from the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco; Nisbet s.n., CAS, from private orchid greenhouse in Bolinas), Illinois (e.g., Hill 34391, NY, from a research greenhouse in Champaign County), Pennsylvania (Armstrong s.n., CAS, from Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia; Mounton s.n., US, from a greenhouse in western Pennsylvania), and New York (e.g., Nee 58143, NY, from the Nolen Greenhouses at the New York Botanical Garden). In most of these instances, it occurs as a weed in pots or on the ground in greenhouses, usually in those growing orchids. It is possible that seeds of P. variabile have contaminated a commercial potting mix, bark, moss, or other growing media commonly used for orchids. Images ( Fig. 2C, D ) and a brief description of this species as it occurs as a spontaneous weed are provided below. Coile 7009 notes that plants overwintered and reseeded in a year without freezing temperatures. Plants are undoubtedly self-compatible (like several other species of the genus; Daniel unpublished), and those occurring both in greenhouses and out-of-doors in the United States set fruit and appear to spread by seeds. Whether the species will persist as a naturalized occurrence out-of-doors or will be only a sporadic waif remains to be determined. It is not currently treated as a naturalized species in the account of Acanthaceae for the Flora of North America (Daniel, in press), but additional occurrences of it should be documented to help determine its status.

Erect and usually monocaulous herbs to 3 dm tall. Stem pubescent with flexuose to retrorse eglandular trichomes. Leaves petiolate, blades ovate to elliptic, 17–103 mm long, 5–32 mm wide, 2.2–3.4 × longer than wide, (rounded to) acute at apex, cuneate to attenuate at base. Inflorescences of axillary pedunculate dichasia to 65 mm long (including peduncle and excluding corollas) and terminal pedunculate dichasiate spikes to 165 mm long (including peduncle and excluding corollas), axillary and terminal peduncles pubescent with glandular and eglandular trichomes, axillary dichasia mostly 3-many-flowered, dichasia of terminal spikes 1–3-flowered. Bracts and bracteoles subulate, 1–2. 5 mm long. Flowers pedicellate. Calyx 3–4. 5 mm long, lobes subulate to lance-subulate. Corolla subsalverform, white to pale pink or lilac with maroon or purplish spots at base of lower-central lobe of corolla, (19-) 24–27 mm long, externally pubescent with eglandular trichomes, tube subcylindric (narrowed distally), longer than limb. Capsule 11–13 mm long, externally pubescent with erect to retrorse eglandular trichomes.

Another herbaceous Pseuderanthemum , P. alatum (Nees) M.R. Almeida. (including a bronzeleaved form known as chocolate plant), native to Mexico and Central America, is commonly cultivated in North American greenhouses as a ground cover or oddity. Sometimes it is also cultivat- ed as a warm season annual in pots or ground plantings out-of-doors (e.g., in Louisiana, Buras 316 at LSU), and might be expected to become naturalized by the spread of seeds in frost-free regions of the United States. It differs from P. variabile by its distinctive proximal leaves (cordate to truncate to rounded and then long decurrent at base); shorter calyx (1.5– 3 mm long); and longer (32–45 mm long), externally glabrous, and rose-pink corollas.

LECTOTYPIFICATIONS AND NOTES ON TYPES

The following lectotypifications and notes on types pertain to names associated with Acanthaceae of the FNA region.

1. Dicliptera glandulosa Scheele, Linnaea 21:765. 1848. Dicliptera brachiata var. glandulosa (Scheele) Fernald, Rhodora 43:287. 1941. TYPE. U.S.A. Texas: Comal Co., shady forest along river at New Braunfels, Oct, Lindheimer s.n. (fide protologue; no specimens located). The location of Scheele’s types is unknown ( Stafleu and Cowan 1985). At BM and GH (and likely in other herbaria, as well) there are duplicates of a collection that represents either type material or material from the same general region (Texas: Comal Co., “Comanche Spring: New Braunfels, etc.,” 1850, Lindheimer 1062). If type material that corresponds to the protologue cannot be located, a specimen of this collection would likely serve well as a neotype.

Current taxonomic status. Synonym of Dicliptera brachiata (Pursh) Spreng.

2. Dicliptera mollis Nees in Alph. de Candolle , Prodr. 11:490. 1847. TYPE . MEXICO. Veracruz: Zacuapan , Feb 1838, J . Linden 1081 (lectotype, designated here: K ex Hook.!; isolectotypes: G!, MICH!) .

In the protologue of this species Nees (1847) cited three collections, all mounted on the same sheet in Hooker’s herbarium at K. Among these, the lectotype possesses leaves and more closely corresponds to the protologue. The other syntypes consist of: Veracruz: cordillera, bois de Zacuapan, 3000 ft, Jun–Oct 1840, H. Galeotti 930 (syntype: K ex Hook.!; isosyntypes: BR!, G!) and Oaxaca: cordillera, 5000–6000 ft., Nov– Apr 1840, H. Galeotti 923 (syntype: K ex Hook.!) .

Current taxonomic status. Synonym of Dicliptera sexangularis ( L.) Juss.

3. Dicliptera moritziana S. Schauer ex Nees var. hirsuta Nees in Alph. de Candolle , Prodr. 11:479. 1847. TYPE . U.S.A. Texas: San Felipe (see below), 1835, Drummond 25 4 (lectotype, designated here: K ex Benth.!; isolectotypes: K ex Hook.!, OXF!, W!) .

In the protologue of this variety, Nees (1847) cited two collections (218 and 254) of Drummond from Texas in Bentham’s herbarium at Kew , both of which he annotated. Drummond 218 at K bears neither locality nor date of collection. Although both syntypes agree equally well with the protologue, the lectotype has more fertile material and appears to be slightly more hirsute than Drummond 218. A duplicate of the lectotype in Hooker’s herbarium at K notes a locality, San Felipe. This specimen was neither annotated nor cited by Nees .

Current taxonomic status. Synonym of Dicliptera brachiata (Pursh) Spreng. Specimens of Drummond 213 from Texas at K, OXF, and TCD also pertain to this species.

4. Hypoestes phyllostachya Baker, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 22:511. 1887. TYPE. MADAGASCAR. “Central Madagascar,” Baron 4907 (lectotype, designated here: K!; isolectotype: P!) .

Two Malagasy collections were cited in the protologue ( Baker 1887) without indication of a type. In the introduction to his paper Baker (1887) noted that a shipment of plants had been received from Rev. R. Baron in Madagascar, and that the new species were based on these. Because Baker worked at K, it seems prudent to assume that his original materials (i.e., collections of Baron) are there. The other collection cited by Baker was made by the German collector J. M. Hildebrandt; this specimen was likely received at K from B, where Hildebrandt worked. Both specimens bear the same two sets of handwriting: 1) a large scrawl with Baker’s name of the plant on Baron 4907 and with “ Hypoestes near lasiostegia Nees” on Hildebrandt 3444, and 2) a smaller and neater handwriting that provides the place of publication on both sheets and that provides Baker’s name on Hildebrandt 3444 and the word “type” on Baron 4907. Because the larger handwriting matches that on other specimens at K annotated by Baker, the indication of “type” would not appear to have been made by him. Thus lectotypification becomes necessary for H. phyllostachya . Both specimens are ample and correspond to the protologue. Data for the other syntype consists of: “West Madagascar,” Trabonji, Waldschatten, May 1880, Hildebrandt 3444 (syntype: K!; isosyntypes: CORD-image!, P!).

Current taxonomic status. Hypoestes phyllstachya Baker.

5. Justicia ensiformis (Walt.) Elliott, Sketch , 1: 11. 1816. Dianthera ensiformis Walt., Fl. Carol. 63. 1788, non Dianthera ensiformis Wood (1870) . TYPE. Not designated (no specimens, localities, or reference to other original materials were cited in the protologue). On making the combination in Justicia, Elliott (1816:11) noted that he had only seen specimens without flowers, and: “Grows in St. John’s, Dr. Macbride. Flowers May.” The latter information might conform to a specimen that would be an appropriate choice for a neotype.

Current taxonomic status. Justicia americana ?

6. Justicia linearifolia Lam., Encycl. 1:632. 1785, nom. illegit. Dianthera linearifolia (Lam.) Raf., Autikon Bot. 29. 1840.

In the protologue of J. linearifolia, Lamarck (1785) cited Dianthera americana L. as a synonym. Thus Lamarck’s name is superfluous (and illegitimate) because he should have used Linnaeus’ epithet in a new combination.

Current taxonomic status. Justicia americana ( L.) Vahl.

7. Ruellia lacustris Schlecht. & Cham., Linnaea 5:96. 1830. Hygrophila lacustris (Schltdl. & Cham.) Nees in A. de Candolle, Prodr. 11:86. 1847. TYPE. MEXICO. Veracruz: Laguna de Jalapa, Sep 1828, Deppe & Schiede 123 (lectotype, designated here (or perhaps holotype): HAL!).

The specimen at HAL is designated as the lectotype because it appears to contain several field labels, is a complete specimen, and is the only specimen of the collection known to me. It is possible that there was a specimen at B (since destroyed), where Schlechtendal worked (before relocating to HAL; see Stafleu and Cowan 1985) when this species was collected and described, however I have found no record of such.

Current taxonomic status. Synonym of Hygrophila costata Nees.

8. Ruellia oblongifolia Michx., Fl. Bor. - Am. 2: 23. 1803. Calophanes oblongifolia (Michx.) D. Don in Sweet, Brit. Fl. Gard. 2: t. 181. 1833. Dipteracanthus oblongifolius (Michx.) Chapm., Fl. Southeastern U.S., 303. 1860. Dyschoriste oblongifolia (Michx.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 2: 486. 1891. TYPE. U. S. A. Georgia: “ Georgie,” without date or collector (lectotype, designated here: P-Michx.! i.e., specimen shown in Michaux Herb. microfiche 79/16—fiche 79, image no. 16).

In the Michaux herbarium at P there are two specimens that pertain to this species and both of them bear flowers and fruits. One of these (Michaux Herb. microfiche 79/16—fiche 79, image no. 16) has a label stating “ Ruellia oblongifolia , Georgie,” and was marked as a “ type ” at an unknown later time. The other specimen (Michaux Herb. microfiche 79/15) bears two labels, one of which states, “No. 14 Ruellia, Le 27 Avril, Ex am. la capsule,” and the other states, “ Ruellia biflora , stigma simplex.” The specimen identified with both the name and locality that appear in the protologue is chosen as the lectootype.

Current taxonomic status: Dyschoriste oblongifolia (Michx.) Kuntze.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Justicia spp. (A, B) and Pseuderanthemum variabile (C, D). A. Flower of J. americana (Daniel & Lott 10530) showing limb of corolla with lateral lobes of lower lip widely spreading from lower-central lobe. B. Flower of J. lanceolata (Daniel 11762) showing limb of corolla with lateral lobes of lower lip barely spreading from lower-central lobe. There is variation in color of the corolla in both species of Justicia. C. Spontaneous plant of P. variabile at San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers (Daniel s.n.). D. Front view of limb of corolla.