Peristrophe in Flora of China @ efloras.org

27. Peristrophe Nees in Wallich, Pl. Asiat. Rar. 3: 77, 112. 1832.

观音草属 guan yin cao shu

Herbs or shrubs, with cystoliths. Leaf blade margin entire or slightly toothed. Inflorescences in axillary or terminal cymes, these sometimes aggregated into a leafy panicle-like complex; cymes consisting of (1 or)2-4(or more) involucres; involucres of usually 1-3 flowers enclosed by 2(or more) pairs of bracteoles that conceal calyx and corolla tube. Outer pair of bracteoles equal to unequal in size and larger than inner pair(s). Calyx small, 5-lobed; lobes equal. Corolla white to pink or purple, usually large, resupinate 180°; tube slender, twisted, apically ± widened into throat; limb 2-lipped; upper lip (in lower position) entire to 2-cleft; lower lip (in upper position) 3-lobed; lobes ascending cochlear in bud. Stamens 2, inserted at corolla throat, exserted from corolla tube; anthers 2-thecous; thecae unequally inserted or superposed (contiguous or separated by gap), base muticous; staminodes absent. Ovary with 2 ovules per locule; stigma slightly enlarged or 2-cleft. Capsule with a solid stalk, 4-seeded; retinacula present; placenta not rising elastically from base of valves. Seeds discoid, smooth to tuberculate, lacking trichomes.

About 40 species: tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia, and Madagascar, with one species possibly extending to Australia (see R. M. Barker, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 9: 192. 1986); ten species (three endemic) in China.

1 Outer involucral bracteoles abaxially pubescent with gland-tipped trichomes (2)

+ Outer involucral bracteoles abaxially glabrous or pubescent with non-glandular trichomes (3)

2 (1) Corolla ca. 4.5 cm, pubescent with gland-tipped and non-glandular trichomes. 1 P. lanceolaria

+ Corolla ca. 1 cm, outside pubescent with non-glandular trichomes. 2 P. paniculata

3 (1) Anther thecae superposed (i.e., one entirely above other and with a gap between them) (4)

+ Anther thecae inserted at same level or at different levels but overlapping (5)

4 (3) Corolla ca. 1 cm; outer involucral bracteoles subulate to lanceolate to linear, less than 3 mm wide; capsule pubescent with non-glandular trichomes. 2 P. paniculata

+ Corolla 3-3.4 cm; outer involucral bracteoles ovate to elliptic, more than 5 mm wide; capsule pubescent with gland-tipped and non-glandular trichomes. 10 P. japonica

5 (3) Anther thecae inserted at same level. 3 P. yunnanensis

+ Anther thecae inserted at different levels (6)

6 (5) Outer involucral bracteoles less than 2 × as long as calyx (7)

+ Outer involucral bracteoles more than 2 × as long as calyx (8)

7 (6) Leaf blade subglabrous. 4 P. tianmuensis

+ Leaf blade densely pubescent. 5 P. strigosa

8 (6) Corolla and capsule glabrous. 6 P. montana

+ Corolla and capsule pubescent (9)

9 (8) Leaf blade adaxially puberulent (especially along midvein) or becoming subglabrescent; corolla 3-5.7 cm. 7 P. bivalvis

+ Leaf blade adaxially sparsely pubescent; corolla 2-4 cm (10)

10 (9) Outer involucral bracteoles narrowly ovate to lanceolate, more than 4 × as long as wide. 8 P. floribunda

+ Outer involucral bracteoles ovate to oblong to elliptic, less than 3 × as long as wide (11)

11 (10) Outer involucral bracteoles ovate to oblong, abaxially slightly villous, base subcordate. 9 P. fera

+ Outer involucral bracteoles ovate to elliptic, abaxially subglabrous to puberulent, base cuneate to truncate. 10 P. japonica

Lower Taxa

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