Justicia polygonoides H. B. K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 2:232. 1817. Type collected along the Cauca River between Popayán and Cartago, Colombia, by Hum- boldt and Bonpland. Photograph US (Field Mus. No. 39429.)
Rhytiglossa polygonoides Nees in DC. Prodr. 11: 353. 1847. Based on Jus- ticia polygonoides H. B. K.
Herbs or suffrutescent plants up to 1 meter high; stems ascending, usually much branched, subquadrangular, hirtellous, the hairs more or less curved, up to 0.75 mm. long, usually arranged in two rows; leaf blades lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, up to 12 cm. long and 4 cm. wide, acute or short-acuminate (the tip itself obtuse), acute to obtuse at base, bright green, moderately firm, entire, both surfaces glabrous or the costa and lateral veins (4 to 6 pairs) hirtellous, the hairs curved, about 0.5 mm. long, the venation rather prominent beneath, less so above, the cystoliths more or less conspicuous under a lens, up to 0.28 mm. long; petioles up to 10 mm. long, glabrous to moderately hirtellous; spikes terminal and axillary, slender, rather lax (the internodes about 5 mm. long), up to 14 cm. long and 5 mm. broad, the peduncles slender, up to 15 mm. long, these and the rachises puberulous in two lines; bracts subulate or narrowly lanceolate, 3.5 mm. long, 1 mm. wide at base, narrowed into a slender tip, ciliate, the costa prominent; bractlets subulate, 3 mm. long, 0.5 mm. wide at base, sparingly ciliate; calyx 4-parted, deeply segmented, rather sparingly hirtellous, the segments narrowly lanceolate, 5.5 to 7 mm. long, 0.75 mm. wide, acuminate, ciliate; corolla violet-pink or rose, minutely hirtellous (the hairs about 0.1 mm. long, straight or slightly curved), 11 mm. long, 1.5 mm. broad at base, enlarged to 1.75 mm. at 2 mm. above base and again narrowed to 1.25 mm. at 5 mm. above base, the throat 2.25 mm. broad, the upper lip erect, ovate, 5 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, rounded at tip, the lower lip cuneate, more or less spread- ing, 5 mm. long, 4 mm. wide near tip, 3-lobed, the lobes ovate, about 1.25 mm. long and wide, rounded; stamens exserted about 2 mm. beyond the mouth of the corolla, the filaments glabrous, the anther cells slightly superposed, the uppermost and larger cell 1.25 mm. long, attached somewhat obliquely, the lower (0.75 mm. long) attached vertically, both cells glabrous; capsules clavate, 1 cm. long, 3 mm. broad, 1.5 mm. thick, the retinacula unguiform, 1.25 mm. long, rounded and thin at tip; seeds (immature) suborbicular, flattened, tuberculate.
Justicia polygonoides occurs at elevations between 75 and 1,400 meters. The leaf blades of Holton's 594 are much wider than those of typical specimens. Haught states that the leaves of his No. 4953 were red beneath.
Humboldt's type had white flowers lined with violet and calyces with 5 segments. In other respects both the description and photo- graph of his type agree reasonably well with the material cited here. Nees, in his description of Rhytiglossa polygonoides, states definitely that the calyces are 4-parted, as they are in all of the specimens I have seen. Since the bracts and calyx segments are quite similar it would be easy to mistake the number of segments. The corollas of the species are typically violet or pink.
J. polygonoides may be closely related to the Mexican J. breviflora, a species usually with much larger flowers, broader leaf blades, and larger heavier spikes.
ANTIOQUIA: Sandstone rocks along the Río Mulatos where submerged rather frequently, vicinity of Turbo, Haught 4953 (US).
BOLÍVAR: Forests of Boca Verde on the Río Sinú, Pennell 4206, in part (NY). CAUCA: La Paila, Holton 594 (GH, NY).
CUNDINAMARCA: La Palma, along the road to Pacho by the Rio Murea, Garcia- Barriga 12381 (US).
EL VALLE: Vicinity of Zaragoza, Cuatrecasas 22770 (US). Low forest east of Zarzal, Pennell, Killip & Hazan 8414 (GH, NY).
TOLIMA: In pastures, Armero, Cuatrecasas 10524 (US).
WITHOUT DEFINITE LOCALITY: Mutis 725 (US).