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Herb ID from Bangladesh SM055 : 12 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (1).
Habit: Herb

Habitat ; Floodplain

Location: Sundarbans


Flowers look like Hemigraphis hirta, but the plant is not.

Heads look like Hemigraphis dura, but leaves not; supposedly not to be found in that region.
This might be Aechmanthera tomentosa Nees var. wallichii. Unlike FBI, TPL combines them all! Also check –
  1. /species/a—l/a/acanthaceae/aechmanthera/aechmanthera-gossypina
  2. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=200021988
  3. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=250096746

 


Earlier post by … & others are at:
Aechmanthera gossypina from Chakrata Mussoorie Road pl. validateArunachal flora-2
As per GRIN, Aechmanthera Nees is now syn. of Strobilanthes Blume
As per The Plant List Ver. 1.1, these are the details:
Strobilanthes tomentosa (Nees) J. R. I. Wood, Kew Bull. 64: 16. 2009. (Syn: Aechmanthera claudiae Bernardi; Aechmanthera gossypina (Wall.) Nees; Aechmanthera leiosperma C.B.Clarke; Aechmanthera tomentosa Nees; Aechmanthera tomentosa var. wallichii C.B.Clarke; Aechmanthera wallichii Nees [Illegitimate]; Aechmanthera wallichii var. gossypina (Wall.) Nees; Aechmanthera wallichii f. leuconeura Nees; Barleria blinii H.Lév. [Invalid]; Ruellia gossypina Wall.; Ruellia tomentosa Wall. (Unresolved); Strobilanthes blinii H.Lév.; Strobilanthes bodinieri H.Lév.; Strobilanthes cavaleriei H.Lév.);


Looks like Strobilanthes tomentosa (Nees) J.R.I.Wood but flowers are rather small and location (Sundabans) improbable. I would have a look at Hemigraphis latebrosa as a possibility


As I suggested the ID I had noted the distribution issue.

Aechmanthera tomentosa Nees var. wallichii had been reported from Chittagong (vide FBI and BP). The last few words in FBI go like – “The Chittagong example……. and is therefore AE. tomentosa var. Wallichii, or a new species.”

On the other hand neither ‘Bengal Plants’ nor FBI informs that H. latebrosa Nees can be found in Bangladesh.

Of course … would know it better than anybody.


Attached here the entry in FBI. Attachments (1)


As far as I am aware Strobilanthes tomentosa always grows in the hills, thus the only locality it is certainly known from in Bangladesh is Chittagong. The alluvial plains of Bangladesh are not good Strobilanthes country but finding Hemigraphis latebrosa would not be unexpected even if there is no old record. I suppose Hemigraphis hirta is another possibility but it is not usually so robust.


I thank you all. It has saved me from searching 150+ Strobilanthes described in FBI.


Hemigraphis latebrosa was recorded from Chittagong and Sylhet District


Thank you … I think I am wasting time flipping through the pages of outdated lit.


Since it has already been identified by … and … confirmed its distribution in Bangladesh, why should it be anything else!


I think more closer to images at Strobilanthes urens rather than those at Strobilanthes pavala

…, you must have noticed that one of the synonyms of Strobilanthes urens is Hemigraphis dura

And in my first reply on 11-June-2014, I stated –
“Flowers look like Hemigraphis hirta, but the plant is not.

Heads look like Hemigraphis dura, but leaves not; supposedly not to be found in that region.

This might be Aechmanthera tomentosa Nees var. wallichii.. …….”
And, then you had two reply mails from …, one at efi thread and another one at – efi thread
Lastly, you received Sourav ji’s response.

What more can I say!!!


I could not the distribution of S. urens in Bangladesh in POWO, CoL and GBIF
but images from GBIF and FoI does not look like matching !

This can be Hemigraphis hirta, as can be compared with the attached pictures. The species can achieve erect state if supported by underneath vegetation.