Justicia chrysostephana (Hook.f.) T.F. Daniel, 2017

Daniel, Thomas F., 2017, New and Reconsidered Mexican Acanthaceae XII, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 64 (7), pp. 131-154 : 149-152

Justicia chrysostephana (Hook.f.) T.F. Daniel , comb. nov.

Cyrtanthera chrysostephana Hook.f., Bot. Mag. 97: t. 5887. 1871. Jacobinia chrysostephana (Hook.f.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Hemsl., Biol. Centr. - Amer. 2(12): 520. 1882. TYPE.— MEXICO. The description and illustration in the protologue are based on plants cultivated in England from materials imported from Mexico by Mr. Bull of Chelsea. A specimen at K ( Fig. 11 ) that appears to represent original material bears Hooker’s name, an indication that it was cultivated from plants of Mexican origin by Bull in December 1870, and reference to the illustration (5887) in the Botanical Magazine — all of which appear to be in Hooker’s handwriting and conform to information in the protologue. This specimen is here treated as the holotype of this name. If it can be demonstrat- ed that it is not original material (i.e., if all of this information on the specimen at K was added to a specimen cultivated after publication of the name), then another possibility for a type would be to choose the color illustration ( Fig. 11 ) with details from the protologue (t. 5887) as lectotype .

Justicia lindenii Houllet, Rev. Hortic. 42–43: 250. 1870–71, as “ lindeni,” non J. lindenii T. Anderson (1868) , nom. illegit. & syn. nov. TYPE.— MEXICO. The description and illustration are based on plants cultivated in Paris from material procured in Mexico by “Hahne” (presumably L. Hahn who collected in Mexico in 1865–66); original specimens, if any exist, are unknown. The colored illustration accompanying the protologue ( Fig. 11 ) would be a logical choice as lectotype, if this illegitimate name were to become legitimate and typification was needed. One might argue that the epithet should be retained as originally spelled (i.e., “lindeni”). Although the derivation of the epithet is neither stated nor alluded to in the protologue, presumably it is derived from J. Linden, another nineteenth century Mexican collector.

Justicia ardens T.F. Daniel, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 53: 41. 2002, syn. nov. TYPE.— MEXICO. Veracruz: Mpio. Minatitlán, Cerro Blanco, ca. 7 km NE de Uxpanapa (Pob. 12) en camino a Pob. 15, ca. 17°14ʹN, 094°09ʹW, 200 m, 19-X-1983, T . Wendt et al. 4227 (holotype: CAS!; isotype: CHAPA) .

DISCUSSION.— Both Justicia lindenii and J. ardens are here treated as conspecific with Cyrtanthera chrysostephana , necessitating the new combination proposed above. The nineteenth century descriptions and illustrations of J. lindenii and C. chrysostephana are very similar and generally conform to those of J. ardens . Indeed, the unusual inflorescence (e.g., Daniel 2002) was noted in the protologues of all three species. Minor discrepancies in the descriptions consist of: the red coloration of veins noted and illustrated (see Fig. 11 ) for living plants in the protologues of C. chrysostephana and J. lindenii (neither noted by collectors on labels nor observed in dried specimens of J. ardens ) and the glabrous corollas noted by Hooker for C. chrysostephana (vs. glandular pubescent for J. ardens ). Corollas on the holotype and other cultivated specimens of C. chrysostephana at K, and on collections of J. ardens are glandular pubescent (at least distally).

The species is known from wet forests of Oaxaca and Veracruz in southern Mexico, and its characteristics and a key to morphologically similar species were provided by Daniel (2002, as J. ardens ). Based on collections of J. chrysostephana at K, plants were cultivated in English gardens (including RBG Kew) throughout much of the twentieth century, and as recently as 1978.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Justicia chrysostephana. Photograph of holotype at K (top); illustration of Justicia lindenii Houllet from protologue in Revue Horticole 42–43: 250. 1870–71 (bottom left); illustration of Cyrtanthera chrysostephana from protologue in Botanical Magazine 97: t. 5887. 1871 (bottom right).