Justicia
Justicia is a genus of flowering plants in the bear's breeches family, Acanthaceae. The roughly 420 species it contains are native to tropical to warm temperate regions of the Americas, with two species occurring north into cooler temperate regions. Common names include water-willow and shrimp plant, the latter from the inflorescences, which resemble a shrimp in some species. The generic name honours Scottish horticulturist James Justice (1698-1763).[2]
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Selected species
Justicia americana (American Water-willow), is native to eastern North America north to southern Ontario; it is the hardiest species in the genus, hardy to USDA Plant Zone 4. Justicia ovata (Looseflower Water-willow) occurs nearly as far north, reaching Michigan.
Justicia brandegeeana (formerly Beloperone guttata, commonly called Shrimp Plant) is native to Mexico. It is hardy to −4 °C but will often recover in the spring after freezing back in USDA Plant Zone 8a.
Justicia carnea (formerly Jacobinia carnea, common names including Brazilian Plume Flower, Flamingo Flower, and Jacobinia) is native to South America in southern Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina. It is hardy to −2 °C but will often recover in the spring after freezing back in USDA Plant Zone 8a.
Justicia procumbens is procumbent herb with angular stems, swollen at nodes, small ovate leaves, small purple flowers in terminal spikes, inserted didynamous stamens, and shortly bilobed stigmas.
Synonyms
Genera which have been brought into Synonymy with Justicia include Acelica, Adhatoda, Amphiscopia, Anisostachya, Aulojusticia, Averia, Beloperone, Calliaspidia, Calymmostachya, Chaetothylopsis, Chiloglossa, Cyphisia, Cyrtanthera, Cyrtantherella, Dianthera, Dimanisa, Drejerella, Duvernoia, Emularia, Ethesia, Glosarithys, Harnieria, Heinzelia, Hemichoriste, Heteraspidia, Ixtlania, Jacobinia, Kuestera, Libonia, Lophothecium, Lustrinia, Nicoteba, Orthotactus, Parajusticia, Petalanthera, Plagiacanthus, Plegmatolemma, Porphyrocoma, Psacadocalymma, Rhacodiscus, Rhiphidosperma, Rhyticalymma, Rodatia, Rostellaria, Rostellularia, Saglorithys, Salviacanthus, Sarotheca, Sericographis, Simonisia, Solenochasma, Stethoma, Tabascina, Thalestris, Thamnojusticia, and Tyloglossa.[4]
Gallery
Typical habitat of American Water-willow (Justicia americana) on the Coosa River near Wetumpka, Alabama
Justicia trinervia in Talakona forest, in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, India.
Justicia procumbens var. simplex near Talakona forest, in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, India.
Justicia procumbens in Talakona forest, in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, India.
Justicia trinervia in Talakona forest, in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, India.
Justicia trinervia in Talakona forest, in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, India.
Justicia trinervia in Talakona forest, in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, India.
References
- ^ "Genus: Justicia L.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2009-01-23. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?6233. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
- ^ Austin, Daniel F. (2004). Florida Ethnobotany. CRC Press. pp. 381. ISBN 9780849323324. http://books.google.com/books?id=eS7lX_rC3GEC.
- ^ "Justicia". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=34351. Retrieved 2010-09-20.
- ^ Plant Systematics: Justicia
