Coarse suffrutescent herbs up to 8 meters high; stems fleshy (at
least the upper portions), hirsute to subtomentose, the hairs yellowish,
about 0.5 mm. long, upwardly appressed or some of them more or
Jess spreading, the lower portions of the stems glabrate; leaf blades
oblong, up to 25 cm. long and 8 cm. wide, acute to acuminate at tip,
narrowed at base, thin, pinnatifid, the lobes triangular, 2 to 5.5 em.
from sinus to tip, ascending, the margins rather sparingly serrate-
dentate, the teeth triangular, 3 or 4 mm. long, the excurrent veins
terminating in sharp spines up to 5 mm. long, both surfaces hirsute,
the hairs confined chiefly to costa and veins, appressed, 0.5 to 0.75
mm. long, the costa and lateral veins (about 20 pairs) rather promi-
nent, the veinlets coarsely and reticulately anastomosing; petioles up
to 4 cm. long, the pubescence similar to that of the stem; interpetiolar
bracts small, ovate, up to 4 mm. long, the nerves thick, terminating in
3 to 6 sharp, straight, yellowish, spreading or retrorse spines 2 to 10
min. long, these hirsute or glabrate, the hairs up to 0.5 mm. long;
flowers numerous, borne in simple, compact, terminal spikes up to
about 20 em. long and 2.5 to 3 cm. broad (excluding corollas), the
pubescence of the rachis like that of the stems; bracts triangular-
ovate, 1.5 to 2 cm. long, 5 to 6 mm. wide at base, acuminate, rather
sparingly hirsute, the hairs more numerous on the outer surface
than on the inner, the margins bearing about 3 pairs of low teeth,
these and the tip terminated by sharp, yellowish, ascending, sparingly
hirsute spines up to 2.5 mm. long; bractlets lanceolate, about 8 mm.
long and 2 mm. wide at base, gradually narrowed to a slender tip, the
costa excurrent, terminating in a small spine (0.5 mm. long), spar-
ingly and minutely pubescent without, glabrous within, the margins
ciliolate; calyx segments oblong-ovate, about 1 em. long and 4.5 to 5
mm. wide, abruptly narrowed to an acute tip, striate-nerved, except
the thin margins, sparingly and minutely pubescent without, glabrous
within, ciliate, each segment terminated by a slender spine up to 1.5
mm. long; corollas 3.4 to 4 em. long (from base to tip of upper lip),
yellow, sparingly to rather densely tomentose or subtomentose except
the glabrous basal portion, the hairs whitish, up to 0.75 mm. long, the tube oblique, curved, 5 to 7 mm. broad at base, narrowed at from 3
to 8 mm. above base to 4 mm. broad, thence enlarged to 10 mm. at
mouth, the upper lip erect, 15 to 18 mm. long, about 7 mm. wide
near base, the lobes obovate, about 8 mm. long and 4.5 to 6.5 mm. wide,
rounded, often mucronate, the lower lip more or less spreading, the
lobes oval, 7 to 10 mm. long, about 6 mm. wide, rounded or shallowly
or
emarginate; anthers reaching or slightly exceeding the upper lip,
the filaments sparingly pilose toward tip, the anthers 7 mm. long,
2.5 mm. broad, apiculate at base, glabrous; ovary glabrous.
Found at altitudes from 2,200 to 2,400 meters, growing in clearings
wooded gullies.
There seems to be no special flowering season.
The stinging property mentioned by Killip and Varela (No. 34685)
is unique for the family.