Justicia flaviflora
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Justicia flaviflora | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Acanthaceae |
| Genus: | Justicia |
| Species: | J. flaviflora |
| Binomial name | |
| Justicia flaviflora | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Beloperone flaviflora Turrill (1922)[2] | |
Justicia flaviflora is a species of herbaceous plant in the family Acanthaceae. It was previously classified as Beloperone flaviflora. The species is endemic to the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean republic of Trinidad and Tobago where it is only known from near the peaks of mountains in the Northern Range. It is an erect herb with leaves up to 27 cm (11 in) long. It is suffering from habitat degradation and has become increasingly rare, being now rated as "critically endangered".
Specifically, it is only known from several locations on El Cerro del Aripo, one of the highest points in Trinidad's Northern Range.[3] Justicia flaviflora is an erect herb with leaves up to 27.5 centimetres (11 inches) long and around 11 centimetres (4 inches) broad. The corolla of the flower is cylindrical, about 2.8 cm (1.1 in) long.[4]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described as Beloperone flaviflora in 1922 by the English botanist William Bertram Turrill based on collections made by Robert O. Williams in the same year.[4] Turrill considered it a close relative of a Mexican species, Beloperone tenera (now J. tenera).[4] Its currently accepted name, Justicia flaviflora was coined by the American botanist Dieter C. Wasshausen in 1995, reflecting the predominant view that the members of the genus Beloperone should actually be considered members of the genus Justicia.[5] As of 2006, the species was last known to have been collected in 1993. Collections of J. flaviflora are known to exist in the herbaria of the British Museum and at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.[6]