Aphelandra dodsonii D. C. Wassh.

Aphelandra dodsonii Wasshausen

Aphelandra dodsonii Wasshausen. Phytologia 25:486. 1973.

Suffrutescent, glabrous shrub to 1 m high; leaf blades ovate, 17–19 cm long, 7.5 cm wide, acuminate, ending in a blunt point, truncate at base, entire or undulate, green, the costa and lateral veins (11–12 pairs) rather prominent; petioles 5–5.5 cm long, canaliculate, glabrous; flowers borne on solitary, terminal, sessile spikes, 21–22 cm long, 1.5–2 cm wide (without corollas), the rachis glabrous; bracts imbricate, erect, entire, drying reddish, ovate, 30 mm long and 11–12 mm wide, acute at apex, truncate at base, glabrous, subchartaceous, striate-nerved; bractlets linear-filiform, 6 mm long and 1 mm wide, falcate, carinate, glabrous, striatenerved; calyx segments triangular-ovate, 8 mm long, subequal, the posterior segment 3 mm wide at base, 2- or 3-toothed at tip, the anterior pair slightly over 2 mm wide and the lateral segments 3 mm wide, acuminate, the tip itself a spine 1 mm long, all glabrous, striate-nerved; corolla bright red, glabrous, 5 cm long from base to tip of upper lip, the tube gradually enlarged from 3 mm in diameter at base to 6 mm broad at mouth, the upper lip erect, ovate, 20 mm long and 11 mm wide, entire, acute, the lower lip spreading, 3-lobed, the lobes ovate, subequal, the middle lobe 20 mm long and 9 mm wide, acute, the lateral lobes 15 mm long and 7 mm wide, acuminate; stamens exserted about 13 mm beyond the mouth of the corolla tube; anthers 5 mm long, 0.75 mm broad, acute at both ends; staminode lobulate, 0.25 mm long; capsule not seen.

TYPE.—Dodson & Thien 1612 (holotype US), Ecuador, Carchi, railroad from Ibana to San Lorenzo, km #78, Río Blanco, 1400—1500 m alt, 14 Dec 1961.

DISTRIBUTION.—Known only from the typelocality.

This species is readily distinguished by the long, solitary spike, the entire, reddish bracts, and the bright red corolla. It is not very closely allied to any of the known species of Aphelandra.

Aphelandra dodsonii is a species of plant in the family Acanthaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.