Staurogyne lepidagathoides Leonard (1951: 5)

Braz, Denise Monte & Monteiro, Reinaldo, 2017, Taxonomic Revision of Staurogyne (Nelsonioideae, Acanthaceae) in the Neotropics, Phytotaxa 296 (1), pp. 1-40 : 22

14. Staurogyne lepidagathoides Leonard (1951: 5) . Type : — COLOMBIA. Department of Bolívar : Buenavista, east of Sincé, 24 January 1918, F.W. Pennel 3983 (holotype: US; isotype: NY). ( Fig. 14 )

Herb 10 − 50 cm tall, rarely branched, with dense simple trichomes towards apex. Petiole 0.2 − 0.8 mm long; blade oblong-lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, 5.6 − 9.6 × 0.7 − 1.5 cm, apex and base acute, simple trichomes restricted to veins or sparsely pilose on both surfaces, abaxially sometimes dense. Inflorescence in dense, terminal and axillary, bracteate spikes, terminal ones 1.3 − 7.5 cm long, axillary ones up to 2 cm long, both subsessile or peduncle up to 7 mm; flowers opposite at base, alternate above; rachis with dense simple trichomes; bracts and bracteoles green, sparsely glandular and simple pilose, bract elliptic, 6.8 − 10.6 × 1.6 − 3.1 mm, 3 acrodromous veins, bracteoles linear,5.5 − 8 × 0.3 − 0.8 mm. Flowers sessile to subsessile; calyx green, pilose with sparse glandular and simple trichomes, non-ciliate, posterior segment 4.8 − 7.9 × 0.5 − 1 mm, 3-nerved, lateral pair of segments 3.9 − 6 × 0.2 − 0.5 mm, anterior pair of segments 4.8 − 7 × 0.3 − 0.6 mm; corolla white, 6.8 − 9 mm length, basal tube 2 − 3 mm long, anterior lobe 1.8 − 2.8 mm long, externally and internally with scattered glandular and simple trichomes; posterior stamens 2 − 3 mm long, anterior stamens 2.3 − 2.5 mm long, staminode 0.4 − 0.9 mm long; ovules 22 − 26 per locule, posterior lobe of the stigma slighthly concave. Capsule 4.7 − 5.5 × 0.7 − 2 mm, glabrous.

Specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Mato Grosso: Juruena , 10 July 1997, Souza et al. 18667 ( ESA, UEC) ; Xavantina , 12 º 54’S, 51 º 52’W, 21 June 1968, Ratter et al. 1878 ( E, IAN, K, P, RB, UB, UEC) . FRENCH GUIANA. Karouany : 1856, Sagot 809 ( K) . SURINAME. Kayzer Airstrip: 27 November 1963, Irwin et al. 57652 ( K, P, U) . VENEZUELA. Portuguesa: Guanare , 13 February 1985, Stergios 7824 ( K) .

Distribution and habitat:— Staurogyne lepidagathoides occurs in the Amazon region from the northern coast of South America, in Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname, reaching its south limit in Brazil, on the boundaries of the rain forest with the seasonal forest.

Phenology:— It was collected with flowers and fruits in July.

Taxonomic notes:— Staurogyne lepidagathoides is recognized by the large oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate leaves, by the terminal elongated inflorescence and the axillary ones smaller. In the specimens collected northward, the leaves can be thinner and hairy, in comparison to the southward collections. It differs from S. diantheroides , which has close distribution, by the leaves 5.6 − 9.6 cm long (not 1.1 − 4.9 cm) and the corolla 6.8 − 9 mm long, (not 4.5 − 5.9 mm). The epithet lepidagathoides was chosen by the similarity with certain members of Lepidagathis Willdenow (1800: 400) , another Acanthaceae genus from the Neotropics ( Leonard 1951).

Figures

FIGURE 14. Staurogyne lepidagathoides. A.Flowering branch. B. Flower, bract and bracteoles. C. Bract. D. Bracteoles. E. Calyx. F. Anther in frontal view. G.Anther in dorsal view. H. Staminode. I. Stigma in lateral view. J. Corolla lobes (from Souza 18667).