Justicia tarapotensis Lindau, Bull. Herb. Boiss.

Justicia tarapotensis Lindau, Bull. Herb. Boiss. View in CoL , ser 2, 4: 410. 1904. Type: PERU, Tarapoto, 1855–1856, R. Spruce 4938 (holo B†; iso K [K000202090!], K [K000202089!], BM [ BM000617760 !], OXF [ OXF00194057 !]). Fig. 7 View Fig

Ascending herbs to 80 cm tall. Stems at first rooting at nodes, then ascending, much branched, branches whitish-pubescent, slightly zigzag. Leaves unequal, petiolate; larger leaves 4.5–7.5 × 1.5–3 cm, oblong, acuminate, base rounded, oblique, veins 5 pairs; smaller leaves 0.8–2 × 0.4–1.5, ovate, obtuse, base truncate, oblique, both surfaces subglabrous or puberulous, densely so on veins, abaxially paler, the cystoliths prominent. Petioles to 1 cm, whitepubescent. Inflorescence of shortly pedunculate, mostly terminal spikes; peduncles 1–3 cm long. Bracts c. 10 × 5 mm, narrowly elliptic, obtuse to rounded, thinly pubescent with conspicuous shortly ciliate margin, rigid, slightly shiny and prominently veined abaxially. Bracteoles 4–5 × 0.5–1 mm, linearoblong, pubescent. Calyx unequally 5-lobed, lobes 2.5–3 × c. 0.5 mm, linear-lanceolate, pubescent, one much smaller and narrower. Corolla c. 10 mm long, 2-lipped, pink, puberulent, tube 6 × 2 mm, white, cylindrical; upper lip c. 3 × 2 mm, notched, lower lip 3–4 × c. 3 mm, shallowly 3-lobed, lobes 2–3 × c. 2 mm. Stamens enclosed in upper lip, filaments c. 4 mm long, glabrous, anthers bithecous; thecae c. 0.5 × 0.25 mm, pubescent superposed. Style 11 mm long, glabrous; ovary narrowly ovoid, 2 mm long, glabrous. Capsule c. 7 × 2 mm, narrowly clavate, glabrous, 4-seeded. Seeds c. 1 mm diam.

Flowering & fruiting: Found in flower and fruit at end of May.

Habitat: By streams (“rivulis”) in rain forest.

Distribution: A rarely collected species endemic to low altitudes in Peru. ( Fig. 8 View Fig ).

Specimens examined: PERU, Cusco, La Convención, Cordillera Vilcabamba, opposite Hac. Luisiana, Río Notes: We only accept Justicia tarapotensis provisionally as it seems to be almost indistinguishable morphologically from J. candelariae (Oerst.) Leonard apart from by its anisophylly. We retain it partly because it is very disjunct from other populations of J. candelariae , which is widespread from southern Mexico through Central America to Colombia reaching northern Ecuador ( Fig.8 View Fig )and partly because of its calyx. Justicia candelariae is usually reported to have a 4-lobed calyx, whereas J. tarapotensis has a 5-lobed calyx, the fifth lobe much reduced and easily

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missed. Lindau (1904) described J. tarapotensis as having a 4-lobed calyx but in fact a small fifth lobe seems always to be present. Future molecular studies are needed to help clarify its status.

Wasshausen & Encarnación 490 has subglabrous leaves while those of the type are puberulous.