Spigelia genuflexa
Spigelia genuflexa Popovkin & Struwe
Spigelia genuflexa is an annual herb in the Loganiaceae family, native to northeastern Brazil. It was described in 2011 and is notable for its geocarpic habit, where the infructescences bend downward to deposit seeds into the soil. The plant grows 1.5–25 cm tall, with elliptic to ovate leaves and white to pink corollas. It differs from Spigelia flemmingiana by its smaller size, shorter corollas, fewer-flowered inflorescences, and bending infructescences at maturity.
Description
Spigelia genuflexa is an annual herb from the Atlantic forest of northeastern Bahia, Brazil. It has a branched stem with a reddish tint and 4–6 prominent ribs. The leaves are opposite, elliptic to ovate, 6–20 mm long, with a raised midrib and inconspicuous secondary veins. The inflorescence is typically a one-sided cyme, 1–7-flowered, with white to pink corollas that open for a short period before withering. The calyx is green and persistent in fruit, with acuminate triangular lobes. The species is distinguished by its smaller size, smaller leaves, shorter corollas, and infructescences that bend downward at maturity, a trait not seen in related species.
Distribution
BR · Brazil Northeast