Aphelandra

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Aphelandra

Content

<<<Flowers>Calyx>Lobes>Shape

lanceolate1
1. 005-001-002-001

<<<Flowers>Corolla>Limbs>Colour

bright red, crimson, scarlet or orange2
2. 005-002-001-001

<<<Flowers>Corolla>Lower lip>Growth form

reflexed or spreading3
3. 005-002-003-001

<<<Flowers>Corolla>Lower lip>Lobe number

3-lobed4
4. 005-002-003-002

<<<Flowers>Corolla>Upper lip>Growth form

erect5
5. 005-002-002-001

<<<Flowers>Corolla>Upper lip>Lobe number

2-lobed (lobes sometimes partially or completely united)6
6. 005-002-002-002

<<<Flowers>Stamens>Anthers>Hairs

often dorsally pilose and adhering at apices by intertwining trichomes7
7. 005-003-002-002

<<<Flowers>Stamens>Anthers>Theca number

1-thecous8
8. 005-003-002-001

<<Capsules>Seeds>Colour

brown9
9. 006-002-002

<<Capsules>Seeds>Seed number

410
10. 006-002-001

<<Capsules>Seeds>Shape

rounded to somewhat angled and strongly flattened to subglobose11
11. 006-002-003

<<Flowers>Calyx>Lobe number

5-lobed12
12. 005-001-001

<<Flowers>Calyx>Lobes

lobes subequal, , posterior (adaxial) lobe, anterior (abaxial) pair, and lateral pair of unequal width;13
13. 005-001-002

<<Flowers>Corolla>Limbs

limb usually bilipped, pale to ,14
14. 005-002-001

<<Flowers>Corolla>Lobes

lobes subequal to strongly dimorphic with lateral ones reduced to essentially lacking;15
15. 005-002-004

<<Flowers>Corolla>Lower lip

lower lip (anterior) , ,16
16. 005-002-003

<<Flowers>Corolla>Upper lip

upper lip (posterior) , ,17
17. 005-002-002

<<Flowers>Ovary>Ovule number per locule

218
18. 005-006-001

<<Flowers>Pollen>Aperture number

3-aperturate19
19. 005-004-002

<<Flowers>Pollen>Shape

ellipsoidal20
20. 005-004-001

<<Flowers>Stamens>Anthers

anthers narrow, , ;21
21. 005-003-002

<<Flowers>Stamens>Stamen number

422
22. 005-003-001

<<Flowers>Staminodes>Staminode number

usually none, if present, consisting of slender short filament or small callous region23
23. 005-005-001

<<Inflorescences>Bracteoles>Bracteole number

224
24. 004-003-001

<<Inflorescences>Bracteoles>Shape

usually subfalcate25
25. 004-003-002

<<Inflorescences>Bracts>Colour

brightly colored or green26
26. 004-002-001

<<Inflorescences>Bracts>Glands

sometimes bearing dorsal clusters of submarginal glands27
27. 004-002-003

<<Inflorescences>Bracts>Margin type

marginally toothed or entire28
28. 004-002-002

<<Leaves>Blade>Margin type

marginally toothed, lobed, crenate, undulate or entire29
29. 003-001-003

<<Leaves>Blade>Shape

oblong to elliptic30
30. 003-001-001

<<Leaves>Blade>Texture

membranous to coriaceous31
31. 003-001-002

<Capsules>Seeds

seeds , , , each supported by a curved retinaculum.32
32. 006-002

<Capsules>Shape

clavate to subglobose33
33. 006-001

<Flowers>Calyx

calyx ,34
34. 005-001

<Flowers>Corolla

corolla straight or curved,35
35. 005-002

<Flowers>Ovary

ovary with ovules per locule, style, frequently extending through and slightly exceeding the posterior pair of anthers.36
36. 005-006

<Flowers>Pollen

pollen usually , , with exine sculpturing usually reticulate to occasionally verrucose or psilate;37
37. 005-004

<Flowers>Stamens

stamens , usually exserted but rarely if ever exceeding upper corolla lip,38
38. 005-003

<Flowers>Staminodes

staminode ;39
39. 005-005

<Inflorescences>Bracteoles

bracteoles , laterally subtending calyx, .40
40. 004-003

<Inflorescences>Bracts

bracts usually imbricate, , , ;41
41. 004-002

<Inflorescences>Position

terminal or axillary42
42. 004-001

<Leaves>Blade

blades usually large, , , .43
43. 003-001

<Stems>Hairs

glabrous to pubescent44
44. 002-002

<Stems>Nodes

nodes frequently swollen.45
45. 002-003

<Stems>Shape

terete to quadrangular46
46. 002-001

Capsules

Capsules , explosively dehiscent on drying;47
47. 006

Description

Perennial suffrutescent herbs or shrubs. Stems terete to quadrangular, glabrous to pubescent, soft-wooded, nodes frequently swollen. Leaves opposite, petiolate; blades usually large, oblong to elliptic, membranous to coriaceous, marginally toothed, lobed, crenate, undulate or entire. Inflorescences of terminal or axillary spikes, solitary to few, often conspicuous with showy bracts and flowers; bracts usually imbricate, brightly colored or green, marginally toothed or entire, sometimes bearing dorsal clusters of submarginal glands; bracteoles 2, laterally subtending calyx, usually subfalcate. Flowers nearly regular to strongly bilipped, homostylous; calyx 5-lobed, lobes subequal, lanceolate, posterior (adaxial) lobe, anterior (abaxial) pair, and lateral pair of unequal width; corolla straight or curved, limb usually bilipped, pale to bright red, crimson, scarlet or orange, upper lip (posterior) erect, 2-lobed (lobes sometimes partially or completely united), lower lip (anterior) reflexed or spreading, 3-lobed, lobes subequal to strongly dimorphic with lateral ones reduced to essentially lacking; stamens 4, usually exserted but rarely if ever exceeding upper corolla lip, anthers narrow, 1-thecous, often dorsally pilose and adhering at apices by intertwining trichomes; pollen usually ellipsoidal, 3-aperturate, with exine sculpturing usually reticulate to occasionally verrucose or psilate; staminode usually none, if present, consisting of slender short filament or small callous region; ovary with 2 ovules per locule, style, frequently extending through and slightly exceeding the posterior pair of anthers. Capsules clavate to subglobose, explosively dehiscent on drying; seeds 4, brown, rounded to somewhat angled and strongly flattened to subglobose, each supported by a curved retinaculum.

Distribution

Andes present, E Brazil present, Guianas present, NW Mexico present, Southern America: Brazil South (Santa Catarina present); Colombia (Colombia present); Ecuador (Ecuador present); Peru (Peru present)
A neotropical genus of about 175 species extending from NW Mexico southeastward in dry forests to SE Brazil (Santa Catarina); the greatest concentration of species occurs in the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru; 3 species in the Guianas.

Flowers

Flowers nearly regular to strongly bilipped, homostylous;48
48. 005

Habit

Perennial suffrutescent herbs or shrubs.49
49. 001

Inflorescences

Inflorescences of spikes, solitary to few, often conspicuous with showy bracts and flowers;50
50. 004

Leaves

Leaves opposite, petiolate;51
51. 003

Stems

Stems , , soft-wooded,52
52. 002

Studied:

A. pulcherrima, A. scabra.

Wood

Growth rings present due to a narrow zone of thicker walled fibres with a narrow lumen.
Vessels diffuse with a faint tendency to radial arrangement, about 30% solitary, remainder in radial multiples of 2-6 and in clusters, over 100 sq. mm, outline round to elliptic, 25-50 µm wide. Vessel member length 500 (250-730) µm. Perforations simple, intervascular pits 3-5 µm, slits enclosed; vessel/ray pitting identical.
Rays 1-2-seriate, 6 (4-10) per mm. Heterogeneous, all cell types present, but mostly square and upright. Biseriates often with very high margins of square and upright cells. Vertically fused rays present, up to 1200 µm high. Contents not noticed.
Parenchyma very scarce, restricted to a few strands bordering a vessel. Strands of 2-3 cells.
Ground tissue consisting of generally non-septate fibres, septates very scarce. Diameter angular, 15-20 µm, walls 5-7.5 µm thick. Pits minute, simple, mainly in radial walls. Length 880 (730-1110) µm. F/V ratio: 1.76.