Justicia gendarussa Burm.f.

Flora Zambesiaca Acanthaceae (part 2) by Iain Darbyshire, Kaj Vollesen and Ensermu Kelbessa

Morphology General Habit

Shrubby herb or shrub to 1.5(–3) m tall; young branches purple, glabrous or with a thin band of hairs at nodes.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves glabrous; petiole to 7 mm long; lamina narrowly ovate or narrowly elliptic, largest 7.3–9.5 × 1.3–1.5 cm; apex obtuse; base attenuate, not decurrent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers in 2–3(7)-flowered cymules at base and single upwards in terminal (or also from upper leaf axils) subsessile racemiform cymes to 12 cm long; rachis glabrous or sparsely puberulous upwards; lower bracts foliaceous, upper bracts and bracteoles linear to lanceolate, to 1 cm (bracts) or 4 mm (bracteoles) long, falling early; pedicels to 0.5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 4–7 mm long, sparsely sericeous-puberulous; lobes linear-lanceolate, cuspidate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white to purple, with darker markings on lower lip, 14–16 mm long, glabrous; tube 9–10 mm long and c.2 mm diameter; upper lip 5–6 mm long, flat or slightly hooded; lower lip spreading, 7–8 mm long, deeply 3-lobed, lobes oblong-elliptic.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Filaments held under upper lip; thecae c.1 mm long, oblong, parallel, almost superposed, glabrous, lower with small appendage c.0.25 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule c.10 mm long, with placentae separating from outer fruit wall and rising elastically, minutely puberulous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Immature seeds densely reticulate-tuberculate.

Distribution

Widespread in India and SE Asia, usually cultivated and naturalised.

Ecology

In the Flora area grown as a hedge plant, sometimes persisting in abandoned gardens and fields; 20–200 m.

Conservation

Conservation notes: Introduced; not threatened.