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Justicia betonica [family ACANTHACEAE]

Date Updated: 19 August 2007

Herbarium
South African National Biodiversity Institute, Compton Herbarium, Cape Town (SAM)
Collection
Flora of Southern Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of South Africa, (2003) Author: Dr J.P. Roux
Names
Justicia betonica [family ACANTHACEAE]
Common names
Adhatoda betonica (L.) Nees: 102 (1832); Nees: 385 (1847). Nicoteba betonica (L.) Lindau: 329 (1895a). J. trinervia Vahl: 156 (1804). Dicliptera trinervia (Vahl) Juss.: 169 (1807). Adhatoda trinervia (Vahl) Nees: 103 (1832); Nees: 386 (1847). Nicoteba trinervia (Vahl) Lindau: 329 (1895a). Type: East India, Rbttler s.n. (not found). A. variegata Nees: 385 (1847). Type: Abyssinia [Ethiopia], Sana District, dry hills near Dochli, Schimper 516 (G-DC; microfiche at PRE!). A. variegata var. pallidior Nees: 385 (1847). J. pallidior (Nees) C.B. Clarke: 58 (1901). Type: Transvaal, Apies River, Burke 514 (K, photo, at PRE!). A. lupulina Nees: 385 (1847). Types: Natal, Port Natal [Durban], Peddie s.n. (not found); Harvey s.n. (not found); Natal, between the Umkomaas River and Durban Bay, Drege s.n. (G-DC, microfiche at PRE!; P!). A. cheiranthifolia Nees: 387 (1847). J. cheiranthifolia (Nees) C.B. Clarke: 58 (1901); Martineau: 80 (1953); Van der Schijff: 88 (1969); Compton: 564 (1976). Type: Transvaal, Magaliesberg, Burke s.n. (K, photo, at PRE!). J. betonicoides Burkill & C.B. Clarke: 184 (1900); C.B. Clarke: 58 (1901); Binns: 14 (1968); Van der Schijff: 88 (1969); Agnew: 604 (1974); Compton: 564 (1976). Type: Sudan, Jur, Jur Ghattas, Schweinfurth 1423 (K, lecto. chosen by Graham: 586 (1988).
Information
Perennial herb or soft shrublet, 0.13-1.00 m high. Leaves glabrous or with a short to long dense white pubescence, linear to broadly ovate, rarely slightly obovate, 16-130 x 1.5-43.0 mm, apex acuminate to obtuse, base obtuse to decurrent; petiole 0-2(-42) mm long. Inflores­cence terminal, an aggregate of sessile cymes usually reduced to a single flower each. Bract 1 below each flower, with one on opposite side of axis empty. Bracteoles 2 per flower, strobilate, linear-lanceolate to ovate, 6-19 x 2-9 mm, apex acute, whitish with contrasting green venation when mature, contrast may fade with age or bracts become suffused with purple, pubescence as for leaves. Corolla 7-14 mm long, cream to greenish white with mauve markings, or mauve. Pollen 3-colporate, 36-57 urn long, sexine with entire margocolpus. Capsule 4-seeded, cylindrical, glabrous to densely white-puberulous or pubescent, with a long stipe, hard, up to 20 mm long. Figure 7.
Habitat
The leaf shape and size in J. betonica is very variable, but the species as a whole is easily distinguished by the lanceolate to ovate, reticulately coloured bracts.
Use
4. Justicia betonica L., Species plantarum: 15 (1753); T. Anderson: 38 (1863); CB. Clarke: 525 (1885); Trimen: 333 (1895); Burkill & CB. Clarke: 184 (1900); C.B. Clarke: 57 (1901); Andrews: 177 (1956); Heine: 427 (1963); Binns: 14 (1968); P.G. Mey.: 35 (1968); Agnew: 603 (1974); Compton: 563 (1976); Immelman: 40 (1986a). Type: Ceylon, Hermann vol. 3, fol. 2 (BM, lecto. chosen by Graham: 586 (1988), photo, at PRE!).
Range
Namibia, northern Botswana, Transvaal, Swaziland, Natal, Transkei, and the eastern Cape as far south as Fort Beaufort; also widespread in tropical Africa and India, and was originally described from an Indian specimen. It is one of the most common species in the genus, growing in grassveld, open bushveld or savanna, often in sandy or rocky soil, and often along watercourses. Map 9.
Justicia betonica [family ACANTHACEAE]
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