Justicia sphaerosperma Vahl

Tropical waterwillow (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Lamiales > Acanthaceae > Justicia

Characteristics

Woody climber, 0.35-3 m tall; branches spreading. Stem subterete, slightly sulcate, glabrous to sparingly puberulous, trichomes retrorsely curved. Petiole 5 mm long, puberulous, trichomes antrorsely appressed; blade rather firm, lanceolate, 6-15 x 1.25-3.5 cm, margin entire, acuminate at apex, acute to attenuate at base, sparingly pubescent on both surfaces, especially on primary vein and secondary veins (6-8 pairs); primary vein and secondary veins prominent on lower surface, obscure on upper surface, cystoliths numerous. Inflorescence a terminal, compound, dense thyrsoid spike to 7 cm long, this imbricate from a leafy base, axillary spikes shorter, undivided, 1.3 cm long; bracts and bracteoles similar, rather thick, linear-lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, 10.5-20 x 0.75-1.5 mm, hirtellous, trichomes ascending, apically sometimes glandular, ciliolate. Flowers secund, sessile to subsessile; calyx 5-lobed, lobes linear-lanceolate, 10-12.5 x 1.5-1.75 mm, densely puberulent, trichomes appressed, central vein rather prominent, margin white, membranous, not ciliolate; corolla red, pink, pink-salmon or light pinkish-red, lobes with yellow horizontal stripes, 30-45 mm long, glabrous or veins sparingly and minutely hirtellous, tube 20 mm long, gradually enlarged from base, 4-6 mm wide at mouth, upper lip erect, narrowly ovate, 12-14 mm long, slightly shorter than lower lip, apically minutely 2-dentate, lower lip spreading, 15 mm long, lobes subequal, oblong-linear, 10-12 mm long, obtuse; stamens whitish, exserted 10-12 mm beyond mouth of corolla tube, filaments yellow, anther thecae yellow and brown, subequal, superposed, upper theca attached to connective 1 mm above basal appendaged theca; style 25-40 mm long, glabrous, stigma minutely 2-lobed. Capsule 12-14 x 5-6 x 4-5 mm, stipe 5-6 mm long, body ovoid to subspheric to ellipsoid-obovoid, 6-7 mm long, often with a slight medial constriction; seeds 4, subspheric, light brown, 2.5 x 2.5 x 1.75 mm, puberulous, when mature glabrous, smooth and nitid.
Life form perennial
Growth form
Growth support -
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.35 - 3.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light 4-6
Soil humidity 3-7
Soil texture 3-4
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment soaking
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Justicia sphaerosperma world distribution map, present in Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:51641-1
WFO ID wfo-0000354024
COL ID 3QXCT
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 629979
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Adhatoda sphaerosperma Justicia sphaerosperma Ecbolium sphaerospermum Beloperone sphaerosperma