ASYSTASIA

Asystasia Blume, Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind. 796. 1826; Nees in DC., Prodr. 11: 163. 1847; Benth. & Hook. f., Gen. Pl. 2. 1094. 1876; Clarke in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind.4: 492. 1885; Malik & Ghafoor, Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 67; Fl. China @ eFloras. Org 19: 437.

Erect or scandent shrubs or herbs. Leaves petiolate, simple, thin, with many cystoliths on upper surface, entire to crenulate, acute to acuminate. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, unilateral spikes or racemes or panicles of these. Bracts small lanceolate, not four ranked, acute; bracteoles similar to bracts, shorter than calyx. Calyx deeply 5-lobed, lobes equal to subequal, hairy. Corolla funnelform; tube narrow to ventricose, expanded distally into a throat; limb +/- 2-lipped, often appearing subactinomorphic with 5 more or less equal lobes, lobes orbicular, obtuse, imbricate, lobes ascending, cochlear in bud. Stamens 4, all fertile, didynamous, included or slightly exserted, anthers bithecous, oblong, unequal, each lobe muticous (having no pointed process, awnless) or with a small basal appendage, staminodes 0. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary oblong-cylindrical, hairy, 2-locular, 2-ovules per loculus, placentation axile; style basally hairy; stigma capitate, 2-lobed or 2-dentate. Capsule with a solid stalk (stipitate), clavate or elliptic-oblong, flattened, pubescent, 2-4 seeded. Seeds lenticular, compressed, glabrous.

59 species

Asystasia gangetica

Asystasia gangetica (L.) Anders. in G.H.K. Thwaite, Enum. Pl. Zeyl. 235. 1860; Ramamoorthy in Sald. & Nicol., Fl. Hassan Dist. 543. 1976; Durkee in Woodson & Scherry, Fl. Panama in Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard. 65: 177. fig.2. 1978; Malik & Ghaftoor, Fl. Pak @ eFloras. org p.67; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 19: 437; Justicia gangetica L., Cent. Pl. II: 3. 1756; Ruellia gangetica (L.) R.Br., Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland: 478. 1810.

Perennial herb, 2 m tall, with usually ascending branched 4-angled stem, pilose, often rooting at the nodes. Leaves opposite, exstipulate, simple; petiole 3-5 mm, pubescent; leaf blade ovate to elliptic, 3-12 cm x 1-5 cm, glabrous or sparsely pilose especially on the veins, adaxially with numerous cystoliths, base truncate to rounded, margin entire or slightly crenulate, apex acuminate. Racemes terminal or axillary, up to 25 cm long, with flowers directed to one side; bracts triangular, ca. 5 mm long, pilose; bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 1-2.5 mm long, pilose. Pedicels 2-3 mm, pilose. Flowers bisexual, slightly zygomorphic, 5-merous, hypogynous, white. Calyx 7-9 mm long; tube very short; lobes linear-lanceolate, 6.5-8 mm x 1-1.2 mm, outside glandular pilose, margin ciliate. Corolla white, funnelform, 1.2-3.5 cm long, outside glandular pubescent, inside glabrous; tube basally cylindric and ca. 3 mm wide for ca. 8 mm length, then gradually widened to 1cm at the throat, distinctly reticulately veined; limb +/- 2-lipped, subactinomorphic, upper lip 2-lobed and lower 3-lobed, lobes +/- orbicular, 0.7-1.5 cm x 0.8-1.0 cm, middle lobe of lower lip sometimes with violet markings. Stamens 4, all fertile, didynamous, included, longer pair ca. 5 mm long, shorter pair 3 mm long; anthers 2.5- 3 mm x 1 mm, bithecous, oblong, thecae parallel, muticous; staminodes 0. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary ellipsoid, ca.3.5 mm long, densely hairy, 2-locular with 2 ovules per loculus; style ca. 2 cm; stigma slightly capitate, 2-lobed.

Capsule ca. 1.3 x 2 cm, stipitate, pubescent, 4-seeded. Seeds irregularly obovate in outline, 3-5 x 0.5-3mm, tuberculate-rugose. (Fruits not observed)

Flowering and Fruiting: : February-April, September- December
Common Names: Tropical Primrose, Chinese Violet, Creeping Foxglove, Ganges Primrose