Branching herbs up to 1 meter high; stems subterete, rather densely hirtellous, the hairs more or less disposed in two lines, re- trorsely curved, up to 0.4 mm. long, the nodes swollen; leaf blades oblong-ovate to lanceolate, up to 8 cm. long and 2.5 cm. wide, obtuse, acute or acuminate, rounded to narrowed at base, moderately firm, entire or undulate, hirtellous, the lower surface sometimes densely so, the hairs up to 0.4 mm. long, mostly spreading and more or less curved; petioles up to 1.5 cm. long, hirtellous, usually densely so; flowers several, borne in close axillary clusters or sometimes in short axillary spikes up to 1.5 cm. long with hirtellous rachises; bracts linear-subulate, up to 8 mm. long, 0.5 mm. wide at base, carinate, sparingly hirtellous, the hairs 0.25 mm. long, some of them gland- tipped; calyx segments lanceolate, 9 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide at base,
0.5 mm. wide at middle, thence gradually narrowed into a slender tip, ciliolate, the outer surface sparingly hirtellous, the hairs up to 0.25 mm. long, the inner surface papillose, the margins whitish and subhyaline; corolla lilac, sparingly and minutely pubescent, the tube 9 mm. long, the throat about 4 mm. broad, the upper lip narrowly ovate, about 6 mm. long, the lower cuneiform, 11 mm. long, 3-lobed, the lobes 2.5 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, rounded; stamens exserted, reaching to middle of lips of the corolla, the anther lobes superposed and vertical, 1.5 mm. long, 0.5 mm. broad, the lower one caudate, the tail 0.75 mm. long; ovary densely puberulent; cap- sules not seen.
Type in the Kew Herbarium, collected at Fusagasugá, Department of Cundinamarca, Colombia, 1,780 meters altitude, February 4, 1876, Ed. André (No. 1517).
Cundinamarca: Tocaima, 500 meters altitude, January 1858, Triana s. n.
(Col).
Justicia fusagasugana is closely related to and superficially resembles the Mexican J. furcata Jacq. The habit of growth, leaf blades, stems, and inflorescences of the two species are very similar. The bracts and calyces are, however, definitely different. In J. furcata, the bracts are thick, narrowly obovate, up to 3 mm. wide and broadest above the middle, acute at tip, the costa prominent, and the calyces are notice- ably larger and their segments oblong instead of slenderly acuminate.