Staurogyne eustachya Lindau (1897: 644)

Braz, Denise Monte & Monteiro, Reinaldo, 2017, Taxonomic Revision of Staurogyne (Nelsonioideae, Acanthaceae) in the Neotropics, Phytotaxa 296 (1), pp. 1-40 : 15-17

8. Staurogyne eustachya Lindau (1897: 644) . Neotype (designated by Braz & Monteiro 2011b: 175): — BRAZIL. Santa Catarina : Blumenau, 31 August 1884, C.A.W. Schwacke 206 (neotype: R!). ( Fig. 10 )

Herb 30 − 80 cm tall, rarely branched, with sparse simple trichomes. Petiole 1 − 4.2 cm long; blade elliptic to ovate, 7.2 − 12 × 3.2 − 6.4 cm, apex acute to slightly cuneate, base obtuse-attenuate, adaxially glabrous or sparsely simple pilose, abaxially restricted to veins, sometimes with scattered disc-shape trichomes. Inflorescence in dense, terminal and axillary, bracteate spike, 2.5 − 11.5 cm long, peduncle 0.5 − 2.5 cm long; flowers opposite; rachis, bracts and bracteoles with dense simple and glandular trichomes; bracts and bracteoles green, bract oblong to elliptic-oblong, 4.7 − 8.5 × 1.5 − 3 mm, 1 − 3-nerved, bracteoles linear, 2.2 − 6.2 × 0.5 − 0.9 mm. Flower subsessile; calyx whitish-green, sparsely simple and glandular pilose, non-ciliate, posterior segment 7 − 11.1 × 2.5 − 4.6 mm, 3-nerved, lateral pair of segments 6 − 10.1 × 0.4 − 0.8 mm, anterior pair of segments 7 − 10.8 × 0.8 − 1.7 mm; corolla white, usually with purple markings at limb and throat, 9 − 12.8 mm long, basal tube 1.3 − 2.7 mm long, anterior lobe 2.5 − 4.1 mm long, externally and internally usually pubescent with scattered simple trichomes, rarely glandular; posterior stamens 2.3 − 4 mm long, anterior stamens 3 − 4 mm long, staminode 0.7 − 1.7 mm long; ovules 16 − 20 per locule, posterior lobe of the stigma deeply concave to divided. Capsule 7 − 9 × 1.9 − 4.2 mm, sparsely glandular pilose.

Specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Paraná: Antonina, São Sebastião , 11 September 1970, Hatschbach 24698 ( C, MBM), 10 August 1966, Hatschbach 14574 ( C, MBM, P) ; Guaraqueçaba, Ribeirão do Bananal , 8 October 1970, Hatschbach 24892 ( MBM) ; Guaratuba, Alto da Serra , 27 August 1960, Duarte & Hatschbach 5352 ( RB) ; Morretes, Engenheiro Lange , 1 September 1991, Ribas & Brunner 364 ( MBM) ; Rio Ipiranga , 15 September 1966, Hatschbach & Guimarães 14725 ( C) ; Parque Estadual Pico do Marumbi , 19 September 1999, Kozera & Kozera 1223 ( ESA) ; Est. Itupaca , 17 September 1968, Hatschbach 19738 ( F) ; São José dos Pinhais, Rio Pequeno , 28 September 1993, Ribas & Cordeiro 559 ( HUEFS, MBM) ; Cabeceiras do Rio Arraial , 24 July 1958, Hatschbach 4893 ( HB, MBM) ; Purgatório , 19 July 1967, Hatschbach 16710 ( MBM) ; Sengés, Rio Itararé, 7 October 1971, Hatschbach 27126 ( MBM). Santa Catarina : Azambuja-Brusque , 16 September 1947, Reitz C 1851 ( RB) ; Blumenau , September 1884, Ule 945 ( F) ; Florianópolis, Palhoça , 17 September 1950, Kuhlmann s.n. ( RB73670 ) ; Mata da Bateia , 27 October 1947, Reitz C 1913 ( RB) .

Distribution and habitat:— Staurogyne eustachya shows a subtropical distribution, occurring in southern Brazil. It can be found under the rain forest, on trail margins or hill slopes, usually in humid habitats of the Serra do Mar, reaching up to approximately 1000 m elevation.

Phenology:— Collected with flowers mainly in August and September and with fruit until October.

Taxonomic notes:— Staurogyne eustachya is a showy plant, characterized by axillary dense spikes generally as long as the terminal ones, long-pedunculate, and by the green bracts with veins almost imperceptible, even with optical microscope, approximately the same size or slightly smaller than the flowers. It is close to Staurogyne sylvatica Lindau ex Braz & Monteiro (2006: 584) and S. mandioccana ( Nees von Esenbeck 1832: 80) Kuntze (1891: 497) , but differs from S. sylvatica by the bracts and bracteoles colored (not green), the bracts 1.5 − 3 mm broad (not 3.3 − 5.6 mm broad), the sessile flowers (not pedicelate) and the corolla 9 − 12.8 mm long (not 10 − 16.5 mm), and from S. mandioccana by the bracts oblong to elliptic-oblong (not broad-elliptic to suborbicular) and the pilosity also in the rachis, bracts and bracteoles (not restrict to the flower and fruit). Other distinctive characteristics are seen in Braz & Monteiro (2006).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Staurogyne eustachya. A.Flowering branch. B. Flower, bract and bracteoles. C. Bract and bracteoles. D. Calyx. E. Anther in frontal view. F.Anther in dorsal view. G. Staminode. H. Stigma in lateral view. I. Corolla lobes (A–B from Hatschbach; E–G from Ribas &Cordeiro 559;C–D, H–I from Ribas & Brunner 364).