24. Justicia reginaldii Wassh., Fl. Ecuador 89: 180. 2013. (Wasshausen 2013: 180)

Type.

Ecuador • Camino Zaruma – Loja, 1100 m, May 1958, R. Espinosa 2409 (holotype US-01106126, isotype K-000544761) .

Description.

Subshrub to 70 cm in height; stems puberulent when young. Leaves very shortly petiolate, lamina 2.5–5 × 1.5–2.5 cm, lanceolate to ovate, apex obtuse, base cuneate, pubescent; petioles. Inflorescence of terminal bracteate spikes, the flowers in very short axillary spikes, commonly reduced to subsessile opposite pairs; bracts foliose below, diminishing in size to 6 × 2 mm upwards; calyx 5 - lobed to about three quarters its length, lobes oblong, 4–5 × 1 cm, glabrous or puberulent; corolla relatively large, 2.2–2.5 cm long, gaping, white with purple markings, puberulent, the tube 12–14 mm long, upper lip erect, hooded, notched, lower lip 3 - lobed, the lobes c. 6 mm long, rounded; anther thecae parallel, slightly superposed, oblong, 2.5 × 0.75 mm, the lower basally apiculate; pollen prolate-perprolate 43–47 × 27–29 μm, 2 - aperturate, porate, grain covered in verrucae (Fig. 50 C). Capsule 7 mm long, subglobose, glabrous, 2 - seeded.

Illustration.

Fig. 22.

Phenology.

March to May.

Habitat.

Rocky scrubby mountain sides, 1600–1700 m (1100 m in Ecuador).

Distribution.

A rare species restricted to southern Ecuador and northern Peru. New record for Peru. Fig. 61.

Material examined.

Peru • Cajamarca: Prov. Cajamarca, Dist. Matará, entre Tingo y San Miguel de Asunción, Chileto, [7°16'S, 78°16'W], 1600–1700 m, 10 April 1950, R. Ferreyra 7070 (K, MO, US) .

Note.

The following specimens from dry forest dominated by Eriotheca Schott & Endl. at 2137–2281 m in Ancash and Huánuco differ in the smaller corolla c. 1.5 cm long, shorter capsule (4–5 mm long) and slightly smaller calyx. However they share the same terminal inflorescence with axillary flowers, the same gaping corolla and 2 - seeded capsule. The leaves are similar in shape but are very variable in size. They may simply be a variant of the poorly known Justicia reginaldii .

Additional material examined.

Peru • Ancash: Prov. Sihuas, Dist. Acobamba, entre Quiches y Jocos, 0.96 km NW del Puente Isabel Gonzales Lozano, 8°20'36.5"S, 77°31'28.9"W, 2153 m, 6 March 2021, P. González et al. 7656 (E, USM) ; • ibid., 1.53 km NW del Puente Isabel Gonzales Lozano, 8°20'20.7"S, 77°31'38.7"W, 2281 m, P. González et al. 7634 (E, USM) . Huánuco: Prov. Huacaybamba, Dist. Huacaybamba, right bank of Río Marañón, 9°2'9.2"S, 76°59'50.2"W, 2137 m, 25 March 2021, P. González et al. 9449 (E, USM) .