Aphelandra eurystoma Mildbr.

Aphelandra eurystoma Mildbraed

Aphelandra eurystoma Mildbraed, Notizbl. 11:64. 1930.

Perennial herb to 1.5 m high; stem spiny, glabrous; leaf blades oblong or narrowly obovateelliptic in outline, to 45 cm long and 20 cm wide, acuminate and spine-tipped, pinnately parted, the lobes subopposite, the larger 5 or 6 on each side about 10 cm long and 3 cm wide at base, the margins coarsely spinose-dentate, the sinuses narrowly rounded, reaching to within about 1 cm of the costa the lower lobes gradually reduced in size, the sinuses becoming broader and reaching the stout costa, the spines to 1 cm long, the base of the leaf blade often spinose-auriculate, both surfaces glabrous or the upper surface sparingly pilosulous; interpetiolar bracts ovate, up to 1.5 cm long, terminating in 5–6 sharp spines; inflorescence much branched forming a broad loose corymb about 25 cm in diameter, the lower branches about 25 cm long, recurved toward summit, the upper relatively short, glabrous below to rather densely softpubescent at tip, the branches subtended by bracts similar to the stem leaves but smaller, the individual spikes short, 3–9 cm long, about 2 cm in diameter, solitary or several on each branch of the inflorescence, closely imbricate, the lower bracts reflexed, narrowly ovate-lanceolate, 1.5–3 cm long, 5–6 mm wide, long-acuminate, spinose-dentate; fioral bracts oblong-ovate, up to 2 cm long, 7–9 mm wide at middle, acuminate, tipped by a small spine, the margins bearing one to several spines about 0.5 mm long, pilose, the hairs gland-tipped, the veins rather prominent; bractlets linear, 9–10 mm long, 0.5–1 mm wide, acute, rather sparingly nerved, glandular pilose; calyx segments striatenerved, glandular-pilose above to subglabrate below, the posterior segment 12 mm long, 3 mm wide, narrowed and truncately 2–3 toothed at apex, the anterior segments linear, slightly shorter, 3 mm wide, acuminate, the lateral pair similar, 2 mm wide; corolla 2.5–3.5 cm long, purple, pubescent, the hairs both glandular and eglandular, the tube curved, 3 mm wide at base, slightly narrowed 6 mm above base, thence obliquely broadened to an infundibuliform throat 12 mm wide, the lips erect, the upper lip 10 mm long and 14 mm wide, 2-lobed to middle, the lobes broadly truncate or obcordate, 8 mm long, 6–7 mm wide, the lower lip 3-lobed, the middle lip trapeziform, broadly truncate, 10 mm long, 12 mm wide, the lateral lobes oblong, 8 mm long, 4 mm wide, obliquely rounded; filaments about 2 cm long, subequal; anthers 3.5–4 mm long; pollen grains ellipsoid, barely twice as long as wide; ovary silky-velutinous, 3 mm long; style glabrous, about 2 cm long; mature capsule not seen.

TYPE.—A. Weberbauer 7876 (holotype B, destroyed, F photo 8706, isotype GH, NY, US), Peru, Cuzco, Quispicanchi, in the Marcapata Valley near Chilechile, 2200–2300 m alt, 22 Feb 1929.

DISTRIBUTION.—Shaded moist places in rocky soil, in the departments of Cuzco and Puno, Peru. PERU. CUZCO, Quispicanchi: Marcapata, near Chilechile, left bank of Araza River, 2300 m alt, 9 Dec 1938, Vargas 9680 (UC); Convención: Estación Machupicchu, 2000 m alt, 1938, Vargas 786 (F). PUNO, Sandia: 9 km from Limbani, on road, at Chamacani, 2700 m alt, 19 May 1942, R. D. Metcalf 30549 (UC, US).

Aphelandra eurystoma is unique in its relativelv short, oblique corolla and pubescent ovary.

Aphelandra eurystoma là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ Ô rô. Loài này được Mildbr. mô tả khoa học đầu tiên năm 1930.