Ruellia blechum L.

Daniel, Thomas F., García-Morales, Leccinum J. & Mora-Olivo, Arturo, 2021, Taxonomic and Photographic Guide to the Acanthaceae of Tamaulipas, Mexico, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 67 (6), pp. 185-228 : 213

Ruellia blechum L.

PHENOLOGY.— Flowering: All year; fruiting: January–September.

DISTRIBUTION.— Mexico (B.C.S., Camp., Chis., Col., Gro., Hgo., Jal., Méx, Mich., Mor., Nay., N.L., Oax., Pue., Qro., Q.R., S.L.P., Sin., Son., Tab., Tamps., Ver., Yuc.), West Indies, Central America, South America.

HABITAT.— Aquatic vegetation, semiaquatic vegetation (mangal, roadside ditches).

ELEVATION.— 2–350 meters.

NOTES.— Native to the Neotropics, plants have become naturalized in the U.S.A. and in the Paleotropics. Common synonyms of this species ( Fig. 5A ) include Blechum brownei Juss. and B. pyramidatum (Lam.) Urb. Descriptions of it under the latter name were provided by Daniel (1995) and Daniel and Acosta C. (2003).

REPRESENTATIVE SPECIMENS.— 50 mi N of Valles , F. Barkley 17M130 ( F) ; 53 mi S of Cd. Victoria, F. Barkley & G. Smith 17M173 ( F); Tampico, Wegränder bei der Lagune , Brenning 1050 ( B); Tampico, G. Fisher 46190 ( ARIZ, S); Mpio. Gómez Farías, La Alamillosa , ca. 2 km W de Alta Cima , L. García-Morales s.n. ( ITCV) ; Mpio. Xicoténcatl, 500 m E de El Azteca , L. García-Morales s.n. ( ITCV) ; S edge of El Guayabo on Hwy. 85, 23°11ʹN, 99°06ʹW, E. Judziewicz 2987 ( WIS) ; Tampico, Pujal Rd. , L. Kenoyer 860 ( F); grounds of Campo Agricola Experimental del Sur de Tamaulipas, off Mex. 180 at La Huastecas , A. Lievens & B. Gregory 2459 ( LSU) ; Mpio. Altamira, 13 km de Las Salinas rumbo a la cabecera municipal de Altamira, 22°23.083ʹN, 097°53.921ʹW, A. Mora-Olivo 7291 ( MEXU-image, UAT) ; Mpio. Altamira, Nuevo Madero , Laguna Las Marismas , 22°22ʹ46ʺN, 097°51ʹ15ʺW, A. Mora-Olivo 7316 ( UAT) ; Mpio. Llera, Reserva le la Biósfera El Cielo , arroyo en camino de El Encino a La Libertad , A. Mora-Olivo 7414 ( MEXU-image, UAT) ; Mpio. Antiguo Morelos, Arroyo La Misión , cerca del pueblo, 22°33ʹ13.0ʺN, 099°05ʹ28.5ʺW, A. Mora-Olivo 8514 ( UAT) ; Mpio. Tampico, Laguna de Tancol , 22°18.158ʹN, 097°53.965ʹW, A. Mora-Olivo & J. Mora-López 7842 ( MEXU-image, UAT) ; vic. of Tampico, E. Palmer 159 ( F, CAS, US); vic. of Gómez Farías, E. Palmer 320 ( F, US); Tampico, C. Pringle 6807 ( F, MEXU, PR, PRC, S, UC, US); banks of Río Sabinas , ca. 5 km NW of El Encino, J. Pruski 1740 ( LSU) ; Sierra Madre Oriental, ca. 6–8 km NW of El Encino, ca. 30 km N on Hwy. 85 of Cd. Mante, J. Pruski & N. Barker 1680 ( NY) .

Figures

FIGURE 5. Tamaulipan Acanthaceae V. A. Ruellia blechum. B. Ruellia ciliatiflora. C. Ruellia hookeriana. D. Ruellia paniculata. E. Ruellia simplex (blue-flowered form). F. Ruellia simplex (white-flowered form). G. Stenandrium dulce. H. Tetramerium nervosum. I Thunbergia fragrans. J. Thunbergia alata. K. Yeatesia mabryi. L. Yeatesia platystegia. Photos by T. Daniel (A, C–G, I, J), E. Fernández, cropped, CC BY-NC 4.0 (H), L. García-Morales (B, K), B. Leander, used with permission from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (L).