Staurogyne diantheroides Lindau ( 1897: 645)

Braz, Denise Monte & Monteiro, Reinaldo, 2017, Taxonomic Revision of Staurogyne (Nelsonioideae, Acanthaceae) in the Neotropics, Phytotaxa 296 (1), pp. 1-40 : 11-12

4. Staurogyne diantheroides Lindau ( 1897: 645) . Lectotype (designated by Braz & Monteiro 2011b:175): — BOLIVIA. Santa Cruz : José Miguel de Velasco , 200 m elevation, July 1892, O. Kuntze s.n. (lectotype: US 702151!; isolectotype: NY 278273 !). ( Fig. 6 )

Herb 6 − 20cm tall, rarely branched, with dense simple trichomes toward the apex. Leaves sessile or petiole up to 5 mm long, blade ovate to elliptic-lanceolate, 1.1 − 4.9 × 0.3 − 1 cm, apex acute, base acute to obtuse, with sparse simple trichomes restricted to the veins in both surfaces, adaxially sometimes glabrescent or abaxially with glandular trichomes. Inflorescence in dense, terminal, bracteate spike, 0.7 − 2.1 cm long, sessile; flowers opposite at the base, alternate to subopposite above; rachis, bracts and bracteoles densely simple and glandular pilose; bracts and bracteoles green, bract elliptic to broad-elliptic, 2.1 − 5.3 × 5 − 12 mm, 3 acrodromous veins, rarely 3-nerved, bracteoles oblong, 5 − 6.3 × 1.1 − 1.5 mm. Flowers sessile, calyx green, sparsely pilose with glandular and simple trichomes, non-ciliate, posterior segment 4.8 − 5 × 0.9 − 1 mm, slightly 3-nerved, lateral pairof segments 3.8 − 4.2 × 0.3 − 0.4 mm, anterior pair of segments 4 − 4.2 × 0.4 − 0.5 mm; corolla white, usually with purplish markings at limb and throat, 4.5 − 5.9 mm long, basal tube ca. 0.9 mm long, anterior lobe 1.4 − 1.9 mm long, externally with scattered simple trichomes, internally glabrous; posterior stamens 1 − 1.9 mm long, anterior stamens 1 − 2.1 mm long, staminode 0.4 − 0.5 mm long; ovules 20 − 24 per locule, posterior lobe of the stigma slightly divided to concave. Capsule 4.1 − 4.6 × 0.9 − 1.4 mm, sparsely pilose with glandular trichomes.

Specimens examed:— BOLIVIA. Beni: Ballivián , 26 August 1985, Beck 12176 ( K) ; Ballivián, 2 July 1987, Beck 5628 ( CTES), 4 July 1984, Beck 5635 ( K). Santa Cruz : Bañado de Dolores , August 1916, Steinbach 2479 ( U) ; Neflo de Chaves , 22 July 1995, Wood 10052 ( K) ; Ichilo , 6 October 1997, Wood & Menado 12.689 ( K) . BRAZIL. Mato Grosso :

Poconé, 15 July 1992, Schessl 157/1-3 ( K), 6 November 1992, Schessl 201/1-1 ( K) ; Serra da Chapada, 1847 , Riedel s.n. ( LE 15 ). Tocantins: withou locality, September 1844, Weddell 2453 ( P) .

Distribution and habitat:— This Amazonian species was described to Bolivia and recently registered in Brazil (Profice et al. 2010). It occurs in forested areas, sometimes disturbed, above 300 m elevation.

Phenology:— Collected with flowers and fruits mainly during July and August.

Taxonomic notes:— Staurogyne diantheroides is a delicate herb, especially characterized by the elliptic to ovate-elliptic leaves, the terminal spikes with green bracts and bracteoles and the bracts acrodromous or actinodromous 3- nerved. It is similar to S. spraguei Wasshausen (1992: 149) in the habit and the shape of corolla, but differs by the erect (not creeping) stem, the leaves ovate to elliptic-lanceolate (not oblong-ovate to oblong-lanceolate, smaler), 1.1 − 4.9 × 0.3 − 1 cm (not 1.4 − 4.3 × 0.2 − 0.6 cm) and the terminal sessile (not terminal and axillary pedunculate) inflorescence.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Staurogyne diantheroides. A.Flowering branch. B. Flower, bract and bracteoles. C. Bract. D. Bracteole. E. Calyx. F. Anther in frontal view. G. Anther in dorsal view. H. Staminode. I. Stigma in lateral view. J. Corolla lobes. (A, C–E, H from Steinbach 2479; B, F–G, I–J from Wood 10052).