Justicia ciliata Jacq.

Global description

Justicia ciliata is an erect plant with simple, opposite leaves. It is generally densely hispid, with stiff white hairs. The flowers are dissymmetrical, of white color and assembled in glomeruli in the axils of the leaves. The fruit is a dehiscent capsule containing 2 black seeds.

Cotyledons

The cotyledons are oblong to linear, slightly arched. The top is rounded and the base is corner. They are petiolate. They are 20 mm long and 3 mm wide.

First leaves

The first leaves are simple and opposite, very briefly petiolate. The blade is linear to lanceolate. Both sides are hispid. They grow 2 to 3 cm above the cotyledons.

General habit

Justicia ciliata is an erect plant. The plant has oblique branches from the axil of the lower leaves. It is 15 to 50 cm high but can exceed 1 m in some situations.

Underground system

The root is a taproot.

Stem

The stem is quadrangular, with rounded angles. It is, in general, covered with long white hairs.

Leaf

The leaves are simple and opposite. They are borne by a short petiole of 2 to 5 mm. The blade is lanceolate to elliptical, 5 to 10 cm long and 1 to 2 cm wide. The top and the base are obtuse corner. Both sides are usually covered with dense and stiff white hairs. The lateral veins are 3 to 6 and clearly visible on the upper face of the limb.

Inflorescence

The flowers are assembled in small glomeruli of 1 to 3 flowers, sessile in the axils of the leaves. At their base are 2 linear bracts 15 mm long.

Flower

The calyx is composed of 5 linear sepals, 10 mm long. The sepals and both bracts are bristling with long white hairs. The corolla is asymmetrical and white in color. It is composed of two lips. The upper lip is vertical and oval, barely divided into two lobes at the top. It is covered with purple streaks. The lower lip is horizontal, 5 to 7 mm long, 5 mm wide, deeply divided into three lobes and punctuated with violet.

Fruit

The fruits are ovoid dehiscent capsules, with pointed tips. They are 10 mm high and 7 mm wide, and open longitudinally at maturity. They are composed of two boxes each containing one seed.

Seed

The seeds are black in color. They are flattened, rectangular in shape with rounded angles and slightly throttled in the middle. They carry a tuft of short hairs at each strangulation. They are 5 to 6 mm long and 3 mm wide.

https://www.gbif.org/fr/species/7515090