Aphelandra kolobantha Lindau

Aphelandra kolobantha Lindau

Aphelandra kolobantha Lindau, Ann. Conserv. & Jard. Bot. Geneve 2:39. 1898.

Stem glabrous or sparingly pubescent, fleshy; leaves sessile, oblong-lanceolate, to 50 cm long and 15 cm wide (those of the specimens examined about 30 cm long and 10 cm wide), acuminate and spine-tipped at apex, gradually narrowed from middle to base, often auriculate, thin, both surfaces glabrous or the costa and principal lateral veins sparingly pilose, the margins deeply sinuate and forming 5 or 6 pairs of broad blunt lobes, both lobes and sinuses spinulose-dentate, the spines 2–3 mm long; interpetiolar bracts ovate, up to 1.5 cm long, terminating in 3–5 pairs of sharp spines; spikes solitary, terminal, to 18 cm long, at first dense, later becoming lax, the peduncle to 10 cm long and 3 mm broad, glabrous or sparingly pubescent, the rachis finely pubescent; bracts narrowly lanceolate, minutely puberulent, the lower to 40 mm long and 7 mm wide, slenderly acuminate and spine-tipped, triple nerved, the margins bearing 5 or 6 slender spine-tipped teeth, the upper linear, entire but spine-tipped, somewhat shorter; bractlets linear, 8 mm long, 1 mm wide at base, minutely pubescent, triple nerved; calyx segments lanceolate, 9 mm long, 2–3 mm wide at base, acuminate, sometimes 2-toothed at apex, thin parallelnerved, finely pubescent; corolla pale mauve, to 5 cm long, finely pubescent, the tube straight, suberect, 3 mm wide at base, narrowed to 2 mm at about 10 mm above base, thence, subobliquely enlarged to a cylindric throat 9 mm in diameter, the lips equal, the lobes rounded, the upper lip 5 mm long and 7 mm wide, emarginate, the lower lip 3-lobed, the middle lobe 2-parted, the segments connate for about 3 mm, oval, about 5 mm long, 4 mm wide, emarginate, the lateral lobes about 6 mm long and 5 mm wide, emarginate; filaments about 35 mm long; anthers 4.5 mm long, barely exserted; style 47 cm long, exserted; capsule oblong, about 2 cm long, 6 mm in diameter, obtuse at apex, glabrous, the two halves spreading and recurved after dehiscence.

TYPE.—C. Mandon 300 (holotype B, destroyed, F photo 8667, isotypes GH, K, P, US, W), Bolivia, Larecaja, vicinity of Sorata, along a shady brook at Teneria near Condurpata, 2900 m alt, Jan–Mar 1898.

DISTRIBUTION.—Endemic to Bolivia. BOLIVIA: Choro, 2700 m alt, Brooke 6050 (F).

As suggested by Lindau in the type-description, Aphelandra kolobantha bears a superficial resemblance to Acanthus spinosus L., one of the few native European species of Acanthaceae. The deeply lobed middle lobe of the lower lip of the corolla and the long narrow spiny bracts are characters by which this species can be easily recognized.

Aphelandra kolobantha là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ Ô rô. Loài này được Lindau mô tả khoa học đầu tiên năm 1898.