Brillantaisia owariensis P.Beauv.

Acanthaceae (part 2), Kaj Vollesen. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2008

Type

Type: Nigeria, Benin, Agathon, Palisot de Beauvois s.n. (P, holo.)

Morphology General Habit

Perennial or shrubby herb, usually glandular and sticky; stems up to 2 m tall, erect or rooting at base, glabrous to crisped-puberulous, sometimes also with long pilose hairs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves with petiole up to 14(–17) cm long; lamina ovate-cordiform or broadly so, largest 11–28 × 6–20 cm, apex acuminate, sometimes drawn out into a short obtuse tip, base cuneate to cordate, margin regularly to irregularly and sometimes grossly crenate-dentate (rarely subentire), glabrous to densely crisped-puberulous on veins, glabrous to sparsely puberulous on lamina

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle from very lax to narrow and contracted, (5–)10–45 cm long, finely puberulous and with usually dense broad glandular hairs, often also with long pilose hairs; primary bracts green to purplish, ovate to elliptic or obovate, from leaf-size to 10 × 3 mm near apex, finely puberulous and with long pilose hairs, towards apex with stalked capitate glands; secondary bracts lanceolate to elliptic, 5–18 × 2–5 mm; pedicels 0.5–7(–11) mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx dark purple, with dense capitate glands, ± puberulous hairs and ± scattered pilose hairs; lobes linear-lanceolate, tapering gradually to distinctly spathulate, ventral and lateral (8–)12–19 mm long, dorsal (10–)14–21 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla pale to deep mauve, pale to deep purple or blue to dark blue with white throat, (25–)30–53 mm long, with purple to dark purple glandular hairs; tube 7–14 mm long; lower lip 20–38 mm long, lobes 2–5 mm long, ovate, subacute (lateral) or rounded

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments

Filaments and style white; anthers black, (5–)6–9(–11) mm long, hairy along connective; staminodes filiform, 10–15 mm long, widened apically

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule (17–)20–35 mm long, the valves 2–3 mm wide, glandular-puberulous and usually with longer non-glandular hairs

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed ± 1.5 mm long

Ecology

Wet lowland and montane forest, often along streams or in damp places, riverine and swamp forest, riverbanks; (750–)900–1850 m

Note

Forms with very open inflorescences and very large flowers have traditionally been separated out as B. patula, but again they merge into typical forms. See also note under B. lamium. There seems no way of separating the multitude of forms which have been united under this species. This is the most widespread species in Brillantaisia and also by far the most variable. It especially seems to have an enormous range of leaf-shapes and -dentations, and these have been widely used to separate species. But over the total range of the species they all merge together. B. owariensis has been grown as an ornamental in Nairobi and occasionally within its natural range in Uganda.

Distribution

Range: Widespread in the forest regions of West and Central Africa, east to SE Sudan and south to N Angola Flora districts: T1 T2 T3 T4 K3 K5 T1 T4