Justicia guianensis
Content
Description
Herb or subshrub, 0.5-1.7 m high. Stem erect or ascending, solitary, terete or obscurely quadrangular, distichously pubescent. Leaves spreading, subsessile, horizontal; blade firm and somewhat coriaceous, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 5-10 x 1.5-3.8 cm, with uppermost pair similar in size to those on rest of stem, entire or undulate, acute at apex, narrowed below middle and rounded at base, both surfaces glabrous to sparsely pubescent; primary vein and secondary veins (6-8 pairs) prominent. Inflorescence a terminal, spike-like, moderately dense thyrse, 2.5-6.5 cm long and 2.3-3.6 cm in diam.; peduncle, 1.8-8.8 cm long, with or without subtending bracts; bracts and bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 5-7.4 mm long, glabrous except apically with 1 or 2 trichomes, margin ciliolate. Flowers sessile; calyx 5-lobed, lobes linear-lanceolate, equal, 6.2-7.4 x 1.4 mm, apically acuminate, pubescent and gland-dotted, margin ciliolate; corolla violet, lavender or purple, 14.5 mm long, pubescent without above, tube 5 mm long, upper lip erect, 9.5 mm long, oblong, with reflexed margin and minutely bilobed, lower lip spreading, 11.5 mm long, 3-lobed, with an elevated plicate disk; stamens inserted at middle of tube, anthers with 2 unequal thecae, these obtuse at both ends, separated by a broad connective. Capsule 10-11 mm long, green, puberulent, stipe 5-6 mm long, body ovoid to globose; seeds brownish when dry, subglobose, 2.2 x 2.2 mm, surface smooth and shiny.