Wasshausen, D. 1975, The Genus Aphelandra (Acanthaceae), Smithsonian Contributions to Botany, Number 18. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. Page 18
3. Aphelandra acanthus Nees FIGURE 48 Aphelandra acanthus Nees, in de Candolle, Prodr. 11:302. 1847.-Leonard, Contrib. U.S. Nat. Herb. 31: 142. 1953. Aphelandra quercifolia Nees, in de Candolle, Prodr. 11:302. 1847. Aphelandra phobera Leonard, Contrib. U.S. Nat. Herb. 31: 143. 1953. Aphelandra gilva Leonard, Contrib. U.S. S a t . Herb. 31:704. 1958. Coarse suffrutescent shrubs or small trees to 3 m high; stems fleshy (at least the upper portion), spiny, hirsute to subtomentose, the hairs yellowish, upwardly appressed or some of them more or less spreading, the lower portions of the stems glabrate; leaf blades oblong to oblong-lanceolate, to 50 cm long and 15 cm wide, acute to acuminate at tip, narrowed at base, thin, shallowly to deeply incised, the lobes triangular, ascending, 2-5.5 cm from sinuses to tip, the margins serrate-dentate, the teeth triangular, 3-4 mm long, these and the tip armed with sharp yellowish spines to 5 mm long, both surfaces more or less hirsute, the hairs con- fined chiefly to the costa and veins (about 20 pairs), appressed or ascending, the venation rather prominent, the veinlets coarsely reticulate; petioles 1-6 cm long, the pubescence similar to that of the stem; interpetiolar bracts ovate, to 5 mm long and broad, the nerves thick, terminating in 3-10 sharp, straight, yellowish, spreading or retrorse spines 2-10 mm long, these hirsute or glabrate; flowers numerous, borne in simple, compact, terminal spikes to 30 cm long at maturity and 2.5-4 cm broad (excluding corollas), more or less lax toward base, the pubescence of the rachis similar to that of the stem; bracts lanceolate to oblong-ovate, 1.8- 2.5 cm long and 9-12 mm wide (the lowermost somewhat longer and relatively narrower, resem- bling a small leaf blade) acute to acuminate, gla- brous o r sparingly hirtellous, the hairs more nu- merous on the outer surface than on the inner, the margins serrate, bearing 3-6 pairs of teeth, these and the tip terminated by sharp, yellowish, ascend- ing, sparingly hirsute spines to 3 mm long; bract- lets lanceolate, 11-18 mm long and 2-3.5 mm wide near base, gradually narrowed to a slender tip, the costa excurrent, terminating in a small spine, spar- ingly and minutely pubescent without, glabrous within, the margins ciliolate; calyx segments ob- long-lanceolate to oblong-ovate, 10-14 mm long, 3.5-5 mm wide, abruptly narrowed to an acute tip. striate-nerved, finely puberulous and ciliolate, each segment terminating i n a slender spine to 1.5 mm long; corolla yellow, 4-6 cm long, the tube densely yellowish tomentose except the basal portion, this glabrous, the hairs ascending, the tube oblique, curved, 5-10 mm broad at base, narrowed above ovary from 4-6 mm, thence gradually enlarged, the throat 8-10 mm broad, the upper lip erect or slightly recurved, 14-20 mm long, about 7 mm wide near base, bilobed, the lobes oblong-obovate, 8-15 mm long and 4.5-8 mm wide, rounded and emarginate, the lower lip more or less spreading, the lobes obovate, 8-1 1 mm long, about 6 mm wide, rounded or shallowly emarginate; stamens reaching or slightly exceeding the upper lip of the corolla; anthers 7.5-10 mm long, 2-3 mm broad, rounded at each end, glabrous; ovary glabrous; capsule brown, oblong, nitid, about 1.5 cm long and 6 mm broad. TwE.-Humboldt 5836 (holotype B, F photo 8695), Colombia, Tolima, Quindio. DIsmIBu'rIoN.-Andean Colombia, Ecuador and Peru at elevations between 2000 and 3400 meters. COLOMBIA. PUTUMAYO: La Cabana, old river basin of the Rio Putumayo in Valle de Sibundoy, 2 Jan 1941. Cuatrecasas 11631 ( U S ) . TOLIMA: Quindio, Bonpland s.n. (P); Mariquita, Quindio, 1350 m alt, Feb 1843, Linden 1101 (P); Quindio, La Pal- mita, Nov 1845, Goudot s.n. (K, holotype of A . quercifolia Nees, isotype P); Mariquita, La Palmita, Quindio, 2200 m alt, 1851-1857, Triana s.n. (K, P, NY, W); Quindio, Nov 1853, Holton 592 (K); Quindio, Purdie s.n. (K); along the Quindio High- way, between Cajamarca and summit of Divide, 3050 m alt. 27-28 Mar 1939, Killip dr Varela 34685 (US); El Libano to Murillo, Alto de Penones, 2200-2950 m alt, 20 Ju1 1947, Garcia-Barriga 12273 (US); without exact locality, Andre 2047 (K). ANTIOQUIA: Jarvise s.n. (K). CALDAS: Alaska, abovr Salento, 3000-3400 m alt, 10-13 Aug 1922, Pennell 9704 (GH, US); banks of the Rio Othn, above Penas Blancas, 3000 m alt, 27 Nov 1946, Cztatreca- sas 23321 (US). VALLE: Along Rio Cali, between Puente de 10s Carpatos and La hlargarita, 2000 m alt, 2 Nov 1944, Cuatrecasas 18484 (US, holotype o f A . phobera Leonard); La Albania, valley of the Rio Amayme, 3000-3100 m alt, 2 Feb 1965, Cuntre- cnsas 26838 ( U s ) . CAUCA: Crest of Cordillera oc-N U M B E R 18 cidental, W of Tambo, 2500-2600 m alt, 5 Nov 1946, Haught 5174 (US); San Jose, San Antonio, 2400-2700 m alt, 28 Jun 1922, Pennell & Killip 7392 (US); Canaan, Mount Purace, 2900-3100 m alt, 11-16 Jun 1922, KiZZip 6796 (US). NARNWO: Paramo of El Tabano, near Pasto, 3150 m alt, 30 Jul 1965, Uribe 5342 (COL); vicinity of Funes, near Rio Tellez, 2600 m alt, 1 Dec 1944, Ewan 16501 (US, holotype of A . gilva Leonard); Que- brada Panacual, 8 km S of Piedrancha, Rio Guaga drainage, 2800 m alt, 3 Oct 1913, Fosbel-g 22113 (US); Ipiales, Victoria highway to San Jorge, 2100 m alt, 23 J u n 1962, M o m 2172 (COL, US). WITHOUT LOCALITY: 1760-1808, Mutis 1944 (US); Pul-die s.n. ( K ) . ECUADOR. PICHINCHA: Below San Juan toward Chiriboga, 2900 m alt, 31 Dec 1955, As- pZund 18982 ( S ) ; road Chillogallo-Chiriboga, be- tween the village and km 48, 1600-2000 m alt, 12 Road of J u n 1967, Sparre 16974 (S). CHIMBORAZO: Pusucucho a1 Placer, 2850-3500 m alt, 10 Feb 1944, Acosta 7279 (F). NAPO-PASTAZA: Cosanga, 1900 m alt, 11 Jan 1940, Asplzind 10329 (S); Papallacta, 27-29 Jan 1959, Hurling 3927 (S); Santa BArbara, 2700 m alt, 15 Ju1 1955, Asplund 16916. PERU. J U N ~ N Oxapampa, : 1600 m alt, Aug 1944, Soupkup 2403 (US).