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Justicia betonica

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Asterids Order: Lamiales Family: Acanthaceae Genus: Justicia

squirrel’s tail, squirrel’s-tail, white shrimp plant

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Coarse perennial herbs 0.5–2.5 m tall.

Stems: Tinged purple, glabrous to puberulent in lines on the upper stem.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite and decussate (pairs of leaves alternating 90 degrees between nodes). Blades broadly ovate to elliptic, 9–22 cm long, 3.5–12 cm wide. Surfaces green; lower surfaces slightly paler, sparsely strigillose along the margins and veins. Margins entire. Petioles 0.5–4 cm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in axillary and terminal spikes. each inflorescence subtended by 3 white bracts with conspicuous green veins, the large outer bract ovate, ca. 15 mm long, 10 mm wide, the inner 2 about as long, ca. 5 mm wide. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Calyx green, 5-lobed, the lobes narrowly lanceolate, ca. 5 mm long. Corolla tubular, pale lavender with a white spot outlined with purple on the lower lip, tubular, 14–17 mm long, distinctly 2-lipped, the lower lip 3-lobed. Stamens 2, often unequal, inserted on the corolla alternate with the lobes, sometimes 1 or more reduced to staminodes; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, 2-carpellate; ovule placentation axile; style filiform, simple.

Fruit: Capsules with two cells; usually dehiscing explosively; clavate; somewhat compressed parallel to the line of dehiscence; 2–lobed by protrusion of the seeds; 1.3–2 cm long; puberulent. Seeds 4; On small hooked stalks (modified funiculus) that ejects the seeds from the capsule; embryos usually large; endosperm absent.

Ploidy: 2n = 28; 34

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Specimens

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Notes

  • Description digitized by Pumehana Imada
  • Often cultivated; in Hawai‘i often escaping and forming large stands. This plant is potentially a serious weed (Neal, 1965; Degener & Degener, 1962a).

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 15 (1753)

Other References

Wagner, W. L., Herbst, D. R., & Sohmer, S. H. (1999). Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai'i, Vols. 1 and 2 (No. Edn 2). University of Hawai'i and Bishop Museum Press.

Wagner et al. 1990:172 (K, O, Mo, L, M, H); Staples & Herbst 2005:87 (KEY, DESCR); Manzitto-Tripp et al. 2022 (retain Justicia in favor of Nicoteba)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Justicia betonica 42 Coelho Way, Honolulu Preserved_Specimen With fruit; no flowers. Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1943-06-01
2 Justicia betonica Honolulu: Young St. & Punahou Preserved_Specimen Weed about 4' high. Aiona, I. Oahu BISH 1941-07-26
3 Justicia betonica Lyon Arboretum, Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Soft stemmed, leaves ovate, smooth, dark green. Flowers on erect spikes, conspicuous ovate pointed bracts, white with green veins; calyx small, five-lobed; 4-seeded 0.66 long capsule. Lee, R. 25 Oahu BISH 1957-12-09
4 Justicia betonica Hanalei District, land of Kilauea, Kilauea Town Preserved_Specimen Sub-shrub with pinkish flowers subtended by white, green-veined bracts. Herbst, D.R. 5693 Kauai BISH 1976-02-26
5 Justicia betonica Honolulu: Manoa Valley; University of Hawaii Manoa Campus Preserved_Specimen Krajina, V.J. Oahu BISH 1962-04-09
6 Justicia betonica Jct. of Hwy 11 and road to Pahala Preserved_Specimen Wagner, W.L. 5229 Hawaii BISH 1984-01-16
7 Justicia betonica Lawai. Hailima Road Common. Preserved_Specimen Corolla pink. Flynn, T.W. 732 Kauai BISH 1984-01-05
8 Justicia betonica Honolulu, Makiki In garden. Preserved_Specimen Erect herb 1-2.5 m tall, bracts white with green veins, flowers lavender with a white spot outlined with purple in lower lip. Fosberg, F.R. 27074 Oahu BISH 1946-09-21
9 Justicia betonica Puuwaawaa. Near transect T21 Common along access track. In Pennisetum rangeland with scattered dryland relicts. Preserved_Specimen Subshrub 5' height. Takeuchi, W.N. 5705 Hawaii BISH 1989-12-26
10 Justicia betonica East Maui, Makawao Parking lot. Preserved_Specimen Plant 1.5 m tall; lower lobes of corolla lavender, upper lip with dark lavender streak. Wagner, W.L. 5674 Maui BISH 1986-07-12
11 Justicia betonica Along Kalanianiole Hwy, 100 yds E of Kamokona Rd Found along with Psidium, Macaranga, Ipomoea and Mucuna. Preserved_Specimen Leaves ovate-oblong, short-petioled, glabrous. Inflorescence axillary or terminal, 14 cm or taller, with conspicuous white bracts. Bracts overlapping, green-veined. Flowers with purple corolla, bilabiate; sepals 5, small. Stems streaked with purple. Ishikawa, S. 206 Hawaii BISH 1973-01-11
12 Justicia betonica Honolulu: Makiki; 2266 Tantalus Drive Roadside weed. Preserved_Specimen Herb to 0.5 m. Inflorescence a terminal spike. Flowers white, each with 3 white bracts covered with green lines. Teraoka, W. 43 Oahu BISH 1979-06-22
13 Justicia betonica Haiku Gardens, Kaneohe Abundant. Preserved_Specimen Shrub; leaves short-stemmed ca. 3-5; flowers heart-shaped and ovate, forming a shrimp-like tail. Higuchi, G.T. 69 Oahu BISH 1971-05-08
14 Justicia betonica Growing in abandoned garden mauka of road next to Limahuli Stream Next to a stream. Preserved_Specimen This plant bears mature flowers. Corn, C. Kauai BISH 1978-06-16
15 Justicia betonica Lyon Arboretum, Honolulu. Makai of Cottage A, near border of Paradise Park porperty Growing with tall grass and weeds. Preserved_Specimen Bracts white with green veins. Baker, R.F. 98 Oahu BISH 1975-04-26
16 Justicia betonica Koloa, Lawai, end of Hailima road roadside, weedy second growth forest; Eucalyptus, ironwood Preserved_Specimen to 1 m herb Trauernicht, C. 188 Kauai BISH 2007-10-10
17 Justicia betonica Nene Road, beyond Airport, near coast E of Hilo Very common or abundant in roadside depressions in edges of dense scrub-forest, dominated by Melastoma. Preserved_Specimen Bracts whitish, corollas pink-purple. Fosberg, F.R. 55661 Hawaii BISH 1975-03-14
18 Justicia betonica University of Hawaii campus, Honolulu. Bachman Hall Growing in full sun. Preserved_Specimen Rounded shrub 2 m tall; bracts subtending flowers white, with moss-green veins. Corolla white and purple with intermediate colors also. Flower not fragrant (afternoon). Lau, J. 1190 Oahu BISH 1985-07-07
19 Justicia betonica Puuwaawaa. Near transect T21 Common along access track. In Pennisetum rangeland with scattered dryland relicts. Preserved_Specimen Subshrub 5' height. Takeuchi, W.N. 5705 Hawaii BISH 1989-12-26
20 Justicia betonica Lihue, on Ahukini Rd, west of the Umi street intersection. Growing in a cultivated Bougainvillea hedge in full sun, and spreading through adjacent field. Preserved_Specimen Tall herb, about 2.5m tall, leaves yellow-green, margins prominently undulate, the blade folded upward somewhat along the midrib, the tips drooping; inflorescence bracts white with dark green venation, petals pale pink-purple. Habit and leaf shape seem different than what is usually observed in naturalized populations. Brock, K. 940 Kauai BISH 2016-12-01
21 Justicia betonica Kananui [sp?], near town of Maalehu Roadside weed. Preserved_Specimen Bracts subtending flowers are white with green veins, flowers pinkish. Herbst, D.R. 5752 Molokai BISH 1976-03-11
22 Justicia betonica Near Hukilau Loop, Waialua Common weed. Preserved_Specimen Shrub to 4' high; tiny flowers grow from spikes of green and white bracts. Afualo, D. 42 Oahu BISH 1975-03-08
23 Justicia betonica Lyon Arboretum, Honolulu. Makai of Cottage A, near border of Paradise Park porperty Growing with tall grass and weeds. Preserved_Specimen Bracts white with green veins. Baker, R.F. 98 Oahu BISH 1975-04-26
24 Justicia betonica Nuuanu Pali Dr. Above where the housing development ends Roadside, shaded, moist Preserved_Specimen Abundant along road in shade Faccenda, K. 1896 Oahu BISH 2021-05-29
25 Justicia betonica Koele Dangerous weed straying along roadside from garden. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 28556 Lanai BISH 1963-08-15
26 Justicia betonica Growing in abandoned garden mauka of road next to Limahuli Stream Next to a stream. Preserved_Specimen This specimen bears mature fruit. Corn, C. Kauai BISH 1978-06-16
27 Justicia betonica Hawaii National Park. Park Cottage 1 Preserved_Specimen Slender woody perennial 3-4' tall. Fagerlund, G.O. 475 Hawaii BISH 1943-03-19
28 Justicia betonica Manmade sand dunes near Waikea Golf Course, leeward side Near a golf course. Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Kauai BISH 1977-09-24
29 Justicia betonica W Maui, Wailuku District, along Kahekili Hwy, above Waihee Pt Preserved_Specimen Plant 2 m tall; corolla lavender; bracts white with green veins. Wagner, W.L. 5811 Maui BISH 1988-03-04
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