Aphelandra chrysantha D. C. Wassh.

Aphelandra chrysantha Wasshausen

Aphelandra chrysantha Wasshausen, Phytologia 25:483. 1973.

Suffrutescent shrub, branched near base, 3 m high; stems subtomentose toward tips, subquadrangular; leaf blades oblong to elliptic, 17.5–18.5 cm long, 4.5–5 cm wide, acuminate, gradually narrowed and obtuse at base, firm, coriaceous, glabrous or the costa and veins (15–17 pairs) bearing a few weak hairs, the margins serrate-dentate, the teeth triangular, 4–7 mm high, ending in sharp spreading spines 3 mm long, the upper surface drying bright yellowish green, the lower surface drying dull olivaceous, the venation rather prominent below: petioles about 1.5 cm long, rather sparingly tomentose; interpetiolar bracts ovate or suborbiculate, 12 mm long, 7.5 mm wide, serrate-dentate, the teeth terminating in spines, the terminal one as much as 7 mm long; flowers borne in terminal,peduncled spikes 17–18.5 cm long and about 3 cm broad (the corollas excluded), the peduncle (about 7 cm long) and rachis glabrous; bracts pale green, ovate, 25 mm long, 13 mm wide, acuminate and spine-tipped, coriaceous, striate-nerved, entire, glabrous; bractlets lanceolate, 13–14 mm long, 5.5 mm wide, short-acuminate, the tip itself a small mucro, subcarinate, coriaceous, striate-nerved, glabrous; calyx segments pale yellowish green, oblong-elliptic, 18 mm long, acute and mucronulate, striate-nerved, glabrous, subequal, the posterior one 6 mm wide, the anterior pair 5 mm wide and the lateral pair 4 mm wide; corolla bright yellow, glabrous, 5–5.5 cm long, the tube 4 mm broad at base, narrowed to 3 mm at 1 cm above base, thence gradually enlarged to 12 mm at mouth, the upper lip erect, oblong, 14 mm long, 8 mm wide, the tip obtuse and entire, the lower lip 3-lobed, more or less spreading, the middle lobe ovate, 6 mm long, 7.5 mm wide, retuse at apex, the lateral lobes 6 mm long, 7 mm wide, obtuse or rounded; stamens terminating at tip of upper corolla lip; anthers 8–9 mm long, arachnoid at tip, bearing a sterile theca; capsule ovate, 2 cm long, 9 mm broad, acute, darkbrown, nitid, minutely pitted; seeds muricate, dark brown, 5 mm long, 3 mm wide.

TYPE.—W. H. Camp E-4291 (holotype US, isotype NY), Ecuador, Azuay, Eastern Cordillera, 1–8 km N of Sevilla de Oro, 2400–2700 m alt, 27 Jul 1945.

DISTRIBUTION.—Andean Ecuador in the provinces of Azuay and Loja at elevations between 1600–2800 meters. ECUADOR. LOJA: Above Loja towards Catamayo, 2800 m alt, 9 Oct 1955, Asplund 18060 (S); road from Loja to La Tuna, km 14–34, 1600–2600 m alt, 21 Nov 1961, Dobson & Thien 1515 (US); slopes of Cerro Villonaco, 10 km W of Loja, 2400 m alt, 6 Mar 1966, Knight 520 (US).

Aphelandra chrysantha is closely related to A. phaina Wasshausen, but the bracts of that relative are reddish, the calyx red, and the corolla crimson.

Aphelandra chrysantha is a species of plant in the family Acanthaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.