img

Justicia

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

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

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Herbs or shrubs.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite and decussate (pairs of leaves alternating 90 degrees between nodes). Blades usually ovate to elliptic. Margins entire. Petiolate or sessile. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers usually in spikes or panicles, sometimes in cymes or solitary. each inflorescence subtended by variously sized and shaped bracts. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Calyx 4(5)-lobed, the segments usually narrow and equal, sometimes unequal. Corolla tubular, 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; capsules clavate. Seeds 4; On small hooked stalks (modified funiculus) that ejects the seeds from the capsule; embryos usually large; endosperm absent.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Island Status

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Notes

  • A large, taxonomically difficult genus. It has often been divided into a number of segregate genera, but these are tenuous and difficult to define. Named in honor of James Justice (died 1762 or 1763), Scottish Clerk of Sessions and gentleman gardener.
  • Description digitized by Pumehana Imada

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.

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Scientific Name Authorship Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
Back to Top