20. Justicia bracteosa (Mildbr.) Leonard, comb. nov.
Beloperone bracteosa Mildbr. Notizblatt Bot. Gart. Berlin 11: 69. 1930. Type in the Berlin Herbarium, collected at Aracataca, at the southern base of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Department of Magdalena, Colombia, 50 meters altitude, December 17, 1925, by Arnold Schultze (No. 234). Photograph US (Field Mus. No. 8923). The specific epithet, bracteosa, alludes to the conspicuous bracts.
Erect, sparingly branched leafy shrubs up to 2.5 meters high; stems quadrangular, glabrous or finely puberulous, 4-sulcate (herbarium material), the internodes 1.5 to 8 cm. long and 4 to 6 mm. in diameter; leaf blades oblong-elliptic, up to 28 cm. long and 12 cm. wide, acumi- nate, acute or the larger leaves obtuse at base, moderately firm, entire or undulate, the upper surface glabrous or minutely appressed pub- erulous, the hairs 0.25 mm. long, the lower surface glabrous or nearly so, the cystoliths of both surfaces obscure, 125 to 150μ long, the costa and lateral veins (about 12 pairs) prominent beneath, less so above; petioles 2 to 5 cm. long, glabrous or sparingly puberulous, 1.5 to 2 mm. broad; inflorescence a dense ovoid-cylindrical panicle up to 30 cm. long and 8 cm. broad, usually acute at tip, one or more of the lateral stem branches often bearing smaller panicles; bracts conspicuous, greenish white, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, up to 4 cm. long, 5 to 6 mm. wide near base, filiform-acuminate, narrowed at base, thin, entire, finely pubescent and ciliate, the hairs white, ascending, about 0.5 mm. long, the costa rather prominent, the lateral veins obscure; bractlets similar to the bracts but somewhat narrower and shorter; calyx about 10 mm. long, deeply segmented, the segments lanceolate, 7 to 8 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, acuminate, thin, greenish- white, softly and rather densely pubescent, except the glabrous basal portion, the hairs ascending, up to 1 mm. long; corolla lemon- yellow (Pennell), 25 to 33 mm. long, the tube 2 mm. broad at base, abruptly contracted to 1.5 mm. at 2.5 mm. above base, thence grad- ually enlarged to 4 mm. at throat, the upper lip erect, narrowly ovate, 13 mm. long, 5 mm. wide near base, thence gradually narrowed to a blunt tip, the lower lip spreading, about 15 mm. long, cuneate, 4 mm. wide near tip, gradually narrowed to base, 3-lobed, the lobes sub- equal, up to 2.5 mm. long and 1.5 mm. wide, rounded; stamens 15 mm. long, adnate to corolla tube slightly below mouth, the filaments glabrous or minutely and sparingly hirtellous near base, the anther cells about 2 mm. long and 0.5 mm. broad, superposed, one about 0.5 mm. above the other, the lower cell calcarate at base, the spur 0.75 mm. long, 0.25 mm. thick, rounded at tip, the connective narrow; style about 28 mm. long, glabrous, the stigma minute and capitate; capsules clavate, 13 mm. long, 3.5 mm. broad, 3 mm. thick, finely pubescent, the hairs about 0.25 mm. long, ascending at tip of capsule, the others retrorse; retinacula about 2 mm. long and 0.75 mm. wide, flattened and truncate at tip; seed ovate, 3 mm. long, 2.5 mm. broad near base, narrowed to a rounded tip. muricate.
Vernacular names: "Cresta de gallo" (Bro. Elias) and "gallito" (Schultze).
Justicia bracteosa is usually found in wooded regions at rather low altitudes (mostly from 20 to 500 meters). The densely bracted slender panicles, although greenish in color, nevertheless very con- spicuous, according to Haught.
ATLANTICO: Barranquilla, Bro. Elias 1498 (US). Woods at Hacienda Riodulce, Los Pendales, Dugand & Jaramillo 4096 (US). Lurusco, Apolinar-Angel 488 (US); Bro. Elias 496 (Bog, US). Piojó, Bro. Elias 670 (US). Arroyo del Higu- erón, Usiacuri, Dugand & García-Barriga 2272 (US). Usiacurf, Bro. Elias 1180 (US).
BOLÍVAR: Buenavista, east of Sincé, Pennell 4021 (GH, US). Cartagena, Bro. Heriberto 276 (US): Bro. Hilarino-Angel 50 (US).
MAGDALENA: Barro Blanco, Haught 4750 (US). Damp woods near Valledupar, Haught 3928 (US).
SANTANDER: Bucaramanga, Sandeman 5999 (K). Roadside north of Pescadero, on the Río Sogamoso, Steere 7095 (US). Dry sandy bank of Río Chicamocha, Araque-M. & Barkley 188.275 (US).