Justicia alternifolia Clarke (1908: 686)

Rueangsawang, Kanokorn, Chantaranothai, Pranom & Simpson, David A., 2013, Taxonomic notes on the genus Justicia (Acanthaceae) from Thailand, Phytotaxa 130 (1), pp. 43-49 : 47

Justicia alternifolia Clarke (1908: 686) . Type:— MALAYSIA. Perak: 500–700 ft., August 1886, King's

Collector 10680 ( holotype K!) .

Justicia henicophylla Clarke (1908: 685) , syn. nov. Type :— MALAYSIA. Perak: December 1885, C. Curtis 1342 (lectotype K!, designated here).

Justicia viridiflora Ridley (1920: 108) , syn. nov. Type :— THAILAND. West coast and island of peninsular Siam, 5 November 1919, C.B. Kloss 6914 (lectotype K!, designated here).

Note: — Justicia alternifolia is characterised by its lanceolate, oblong or elliptic leaf with an unequal base and acuminate apex and also by its dichasia with 3–5 flowers and occurring in the axils of the upper leaves. The species is distributed in India, Malaysia and peninsular Thailand. Justicia henicophylla was stated by Clarke (1908) to differ from J. alternifolia in its nearly glabrous stem. However, this character is not discrete but rather represents the spectrum of variation between them. Therefore, the distinction between the two species is insufficient for specific recognition. Clark described J. henicophylla based on six different collections at K, King's Collector 2189 and 10297, Curtis 1342, Wray 1402 and 2751 and Scortechini s.n. Curtis 1342 is in good condition and has line drawings of anther, ovary and pollen. Therefore, it is selected here as the lectotype.

According to the original description, J. viridiflora is morphologically similar to J. henicophylla , because the leaf blade varies from lanceolate, oblong to elliptic, rounded or cuneate base, sometimes unequal base. The apex is acute or acuminate. Occasionally, the stems, leaves, pedicels and capsules have brownish indumentums. Therefore, J. viridiflora is considered here to be a synonym of J. alternifolia . Moreover, Hansen indicated on the respective herbarium sheets that Kloss 6859 (K) and 6914 (K) were probable syntypes of J. viridiflora although type material was not mentioned as such in the protologue. The latter collection is selected as the lectotype because it is the best preserved.