Aphelandra mucronata (Ruiz & Pav.) Nees

Aphelandra mucronata (Ruiz & Pavon) Nees

,!@FRONTISPIECE

Aphelandra mucronata (Ruiz & Pavón) Nees in de Candolle, Prodr. 11:301. 1847.

Justicia mucronata Ruiz & Pavón, Fl. Peruv. & Chil. Prodr. 1:8. pl. 10. 1798.

Erect, branched shrub to 2 m high; branches terete, glabrous or sparingly hirsute; leaf blades oblong-obovate, 25–30 cm long and 11 cm wide, mucronate, cuneate at base, shining above, the margins spinose-dentate, the teeth incurved, distant, 2.5–4 cm apart, tipped by spines 2–4 mm long, these formed by the outgrowth of the lateral nerves, both surfaces glabrous or the costa and nerves (8–12 on each side of the costa) sparingly and minutely tomentose, the costa broad, the lateral nerves rather obscure; petioles 2–3 cm long, sparingly tomentose; inflorescence a terminal spike to 30 cm long, 1.5–2 cm in diameter, lax, the flowers opposite or in threes, distant, the rachis sparingly tomentose, the peduncle about 10 cm long; bracts green, ovate, 15 mm long, 5 mm wide, entire, acute, glabrous within, glabrous to sparingly hirsute without, striate-nerved; bractlets 1.3 cm long, 4.5 mm wide, the margins obsoletely denticulate, otherwise similar to the bracts; calyx segments oblong, 13–15 mm long, 5 mm wide, broadly truncate at base, acuminate with indurate apex, membranaceous, the margins denticulate and sparingly pilose; corolla red, apically yellow, glabrous both within and without, the tube about 3.5 cm long, 6 mm wide at base, narrowed to 4 mm at 5 mm above base then enlarged to 10 mm, curved, somewhat ventricose, the mouth strongly oblique, the upper lip 18 mm long, 4 mm wide, gradually enlarged to 5 mm near base, the tip bilobed, the lobes about 2 mm long, 2 mm wide, obtuse or rounded, lower lip 3-lobed, the lobes semi-oval, 6 mm long, 5 mm wide at base, rounded at apex, the margins villous-ciliate; stamens about equaling the upper lip, one pair about 5 mm longer than the other; anthers 5 mm long, apically obtuse, bearing tufts of long weak hair; pollen grains obtuse, 66μ × 30μ; ovary and style glabrous; capsule oblong-obovate, three times as long as the calyx.

TYPE.—Ruiz & Pavón s.n. (holotype MA, isotypes F, G), Peru, Huánuco, Huánuco, in woods at Pati near Chinchao.

DISTRIBUTION.—Huánuco, Peru at altitudes between 600–800 meters. PERU. HUÁNUCO: Tingo María, 600–650 m alt, 10 Jul 1955, Ferreyra 13134 (USM, US); 8 Jul 1940, Asplund 12080 (S); along river, 700 m alt, 21 Oct 1938, Stork & Horton 9468 (F, NA); Huamalies: Right side of Río Monzon, trail of Cueva de las Lechuzas, 700–800 m alt, 18 Jul 1948, Ferreyra 4235 (USM, US); Leoncio Prado: 5 km from Tingo María, 672 m alt, 4 Jul 1969, Schunke 3254 (F, US).

Superficially Aphelandra mucronata strongly resembles A. weberbaueri. The leaves and bracts (except for size) compared to Ruiz and Pavon’s illustrations are practically identical. The calyx segments of A. weberbaueri are more truncate or rounded than those portrayed in Ruiz and Pavon’s drawing of A. mucronata. The spike of A. mucronata is pictured as bearing but 13 flowers, whereas that of Weberbauer 6657 bears from 40–50 flowers.

Aphelandra mucronata là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ Ô rô. Loài này được (Ruiz & Pav.) Nees mô tả khoa học đầu tiên năm 1847.