Dasytropis fragilis Urb., Repert., 2015

Franck, Alan R. & Daniel, Thomas F., 2015, Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Notes on Six Genera of Acanthaceae in the West Indies, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 62 (10), pp. 309-329 : 313-315

1. Dasytropis fragilis Urb., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 20:311. 1924. TYPE.— CUBA. Holguín: Sierra de Nipe, Woodfred, in low forest on the slope towards Arroyo del Medio , 29 Sep 1922, Ekman 15236 (lectotype, designated here: S [05-393]; isolectotypes: G, NY, US). Figure 2 A .

DISCUSSION.— Dasytropis ( Justicieae ) is monospecific and occurs in the Sierra de Nipe region of eastern Cuba, an area possibly harboring the most endemics in the country ( Carabia 1945). Vegetatively, this species greatly resembles Sapphoa rigidifolia . Both are found in eastern Cuba as scandent, vine-like shrubs (León and Alain 1957; Borhidi 1983). Additionally, material from both species is apparently delicate and fragile as their type specimens bear fragment packets with abundant material. Significant differences noted in their respective protologues consist of the presence of two staminodes and caerulean flowers in Sapphoa , and two stamens without staminodes and pale green-white flowers in Dasytropsis.

SALPIXANTHA Hook., Bot. Mag. 71:tab. 4158. 1845. TYPE.— Salpixantha coccinea Hook.

Neriacanthus Benth. in Bentham and Hooker, Gen. Pl. 2:1096. 1876. TYPE.— Neriacanthus purdieanus Benth.

DISCUSSION.— Salpixantha (Acantheae) is endemic to Jamaica and contains two species. The two species are shrubs with spicate inflorescences and flowers containing four stamens ( Adams 1972).