Justicia, L. FROM

Raja, Prakasam, Arulanandam, Lourdusamy John Peter, Soosairaj, Sebastian & Kabeer, Kadher Althaf Ahammed, 2023, A new species of Justicia L. (Acanthaceae) from Tamil Nadu, India, Adansonia (3) 45 (17), pp. 285-291 : 290

KEY TO THE GENUS JUSTicia L. FROM TAMIL NADU, INDIA

1. Calyx lobes 5 ............................................................................................................................................... 2

— Calyx lobes 4 ............................................................................................................................................. 14

2. Shrubs or undershrubs ................................................................................................................................ 3

— Erect or diffuse herbs ................................................................................................................................. 12

3. Anther cells minutely apiculate at base ........................................................................................................ 4

— Anther cells with prominent white appendage at base ................................................................................. 5

4. Inflorescence capitate .................................................................................. J. beddomei (C.B.Clarke) Bennet

— Inflorescence spikes .................................................................................................................. J. adhatoda L.

5. Capsule 2-2.5 cm long ................................................................................................................................ 6

— Capsule less than 2 cm long ........................................................................................................................ 7

6. Erect shrubs. Leaves 6-9 cm broad ................................................................................... J. santapaui Bennet

— Procumbent undershrub. Leaves 0.5-1.5 cm broad .......................... J. nilgherrensis (Nees) Wight ex C.B. Clarke

7. Leaves less than 3 cm long ........................................................................................................................... 8

— Leaves more than 5 cm long ........................................................................................................................ 9

8. Bracts elliptic, acute .................................................................................................. J. salsoloides T.Anderson

— Bracts orbicular or obcordate, short-apiculate ............................................................... J. tranquebariensis L.f .

9. Capsule pubescent ..................................................................................................................................... 10

— Capsule glabrous ........................................................................................................... J. gendarussa Burm.f.

10. Seeds spinulose or echinate when wetted ................................................................................................... 11

— Seeds softly round-tuberculate when wetted .............................................................. J. wynaadensis B.Heyne

11. Bracts white with green nerves; bracteoles similar ....................................................................... J. betonica L .

— Bracts not as above; bracteoles different, often absent ............................................................ J. glauca Rottler

12. Leaves more than 5 cm broad ................................................................................................. J. scandens Vahl

— Leaves less than 1 cm broad ....................................................................................................................... 13

13. Bracts white with green nerves. Seeds tuberculate when wetted ............................................. J. trinervia Vahl

— Bracts not as above. Seeds echinate when wetted .......................... J. tamilnadensis P.Raja & Soosairaj , sp.nov.

14. Spikes stout, cylindric ............................................................................................................................... 15

— Spikes slender, linear ................................................................................................................................. 18

15. Subshrubs or undershrubs; branchlets somewhat woody ........................................................................... 16

— Herbaceous; branchlets slender .................................................................................................................. 17

16. Bracts with bulbous based white hairs. Capsule pubescent .......................................... J. neesii Ramamoorthy

— Bracts not as above. Capsule glabrous ........................................................... J. latispica (C.B.Clarke) Gamble

17. Spikes up to 3 cm long ......................................................................................................... J. procumbens L .

— Spikes more than 5 cm long ................................................................................................ J. simplex D.Don

18. Calyx lobes obtuse at apex ................................................................... J. quinqueangularis J.Koenig ex Roxb.

— Calyx lobes acute at apex ........................................................................................................................... 19

19. Bracts and bracteoles ovate .................................................................................................... J. diffusa Willd.

— Bracts and bracteoles lanceolate ................................................................................................................. 20

20. Seeds tuberculate .......................................................................... J. prostrata (Roxb. ex C.B.Clarke) Gamble

— Seeds papillae ............................................................................................................................................ 21

21. Leaves ovate-elliptic or linear-lanceolate, acute, glabrous ........................................................... J. vahlii Roth

— Leaves ovate or orbicular, obtuse, strigose above, villous beneath ......................... J. nepalensis V.A.W.Graham