Aphelandra sinclairiana Nees

Aphelandra sinclairiana Nees

Aphelandra sinclairiana Nees in Bentham Bot. Voy. Sulph. 146, pl. 47, 1844; in de Candolle, Prodr. 11:296. 1847.— Hemsley, Biol. Centr. Amer. Bot. 2:513. 1882.—Leonard, Field Mus. Bot. Ser., 18:1196. 1938.

Shrubs or small trees to 5 m high; the branches subquadrangular toward tip, rather densely hirsute, to 1 mm long; leaf blades numerous, oblonglanceolate, to 35 cm long and 10 cm wide, abruptly acuminate (the tip more or less curved), gradually narrowed at base to a short, naked petiole, firm, entire or shallowly crenate, the upper surface sparingly hirsute, the costa and lateral veins (9–16 pairs) rather densely so, the lower surface, including the rather prominent costa and lateral veins moderately villous-hirsute, petioles 1–2 cm long, moderately hirsute; spikes usually numerous, both terminal and subterminal, solitary or several in a cluster, peduncled, to 20 cm long and 1.5–2 cm broad, the peduncles subquadrangular, 3–5 cm long, moderately hirsute, the rachis hirsutulous; bracts orange-red, entire, oval, about 20 mm long and 10 mm wide, silky-puberulent, bearing several well-defined glands on either side, the upper bracts rounded or obtuse, closely imbricate, the lower acute and spreading; bractlets lance-ovate, 6 mm long, 2 mm wide, acute, carinate, sometimes bearing one or more minute teeth on either side, striate-nerved, puberulent; calyx segments striatenerved, acute and cuspidate, (tipped by a slender awn 0.5 mm long), ciliate and more or less erose toward tip, glabrous toward base, the posterior segment lanceolate, 8–10 mm long and 3 mm wide, the anterior pair lanceolate, about 2 mm wide near base, the lateral pair more narrowly lanceolate, slightly over 1 mm wide near base; corolla rose-red or purplish red, finely pubescent, about 6 cm long, the tube 3 mm broad at base, 6 or 7 mm broad at mouth, the upper lip erect, ovate, 15–17 mm long and 8–9 mm wide, 2-lobed, the lobes lance-ovate, about 10 mm long and 4.5 mm wide at base, acute, the middle lobe of the lower lip spreading, ovate-lanceolate, about 21 mm long, 7–8 mm wide, acuminate, carinate, the lateral lobes adnate to the lower part of the upper lip, their free portion triangular-ovate, 2.5 mm long and 2 mm wide at base, obtuse; stamens reaching about midway between mouth of the tube and the tip of the upper lip; the anthers 6.5 mm long, apiculate at tip, acute at base; capsule clavate, about 2 cm long, 6 mm broad near the tip, 3 mm broad at the base, obtuse at apex, densely puberulous; seeds flat, about 3.5 mm in diameter, minutely hispidulous.

TYPE.—Sinclair s.n. (holotype K), Panama, Isthmus of Darien.

DISTRIBUTION.—Moist forests and along shady river banks in southeastern Costa Rica and Panama. COSTA RICA: LIMÓN: Río Zhorquin, Talamanca, 50 m alt, Mar 1894, Tonduz 8549 (US); forest of Xirores, Talamanca, 100 m alt, Feb 1895, Tonduz 9302 (P, US); Jiménez, Llanos de Santa Clara, 195 m alt, Apr 1894, John Donnell Smith 4917 (US); las Delicias, plains of Santa Clara, 500 m alt, Feb 1897, Biolley 10669 (US, W); Los Diamantes, 29 Feb 1956, Schubert 1109 (US). PANAMA. BOCAS DE TORO: Talamanca Valley, 3 Feb 1921, Carleton 124 (US); Laguna de Chiriqui and vicinity, Nov and Dec 1885, Hart 130 (K, US); 8 Oct 1940, von Wedel 1083 (US); Garay Creek, 8 Sep 1941, von Wedel 2636 (US); Water Valley, 13 Sep 1940, von Wedel 762 (US); 1 Oct 1940, von Wedel 973 (US); Changuinola to 5 m S at junction of Rios Changuinola & Terebé, 30–60 m alt, 17–19 Dec 1966, Lewis, Dwyer, Elias, & Robertson 803 (MO, US). COCLÉ: El Valle de Antón, along Río Indio trail, 500–700 m alt, 30 Jan 1935, Hunter & Allen 358 (P, US). CANAL ZONE: Chagres, Feb 1850, Fendler 209 (K, P, US, W); Paraiso, Dec 1857, Wagner s.n. (M); Gatun, Jan 1858, Wagner s.n. (M); off road K–15 near Huile on hills around Gatun Lake, 26 Dec 1957, C. Earle Smith, Jr., H. Morgan Smith & Tule Arrauz 3278 (F, US); Empire Station, Oct. 1861, Hayes 307 (K); between Gorgona and Gatun, 10–50 m alt, 7 Jan 1911, Pittier 2264, 2270 (US); Barro Colorado Island, Gatun Lake, 17 Jan 1924, Standley 31453 (US); S. Molino Trail 1, Dec 1931, Shattuck 760 (US); road between Gatun and Fort Sherman, 17 Dec 1966, Burch, Baker & Oliver1016 (US); Lion Hill Station, Jan 1860, Hayes 602 (US); Bismark above Penonomé, 5 Mar 1908, Williams 370 (US); between Mt. Hope and Santa Rita Trail, 25 Feb 1905, Cowell 71, 72 (US); valley of Masambí, 20–100 m alt, 6 Feb 1911, Maxon 4683 (US); hills N of Frijoles, 19 Dec 1923, Standley 27547 (US); vicinity of Gatuncillo, 26 Feb 1923, Standley 5601 (US); Las Cascadas Plantation, near Summit, 4 Jan 1924, Standley 29654 (US); vicinity of Fort Sherman, 15 Jan 1924, Standley 31091 (US); Darién Station, 19 Jan 1924, Standley 31594 (US); Obispo, 19 Jan 1924, Standley 31670 (US); Changuinola Valley, Lincoln Creek, 18 Jan 1924, Dunlap 368 (US); along road from Fort Sherman to Fort San Lorenzo, 1 Apr 1969, Porter, Dwyer, Durkee Crosby, & Castillon 4991 (MO, US); Madden Forest Preserve, along Las Cruces Trail and highway, 8 Apr 1969, Lewis, Porter, Durkee, & Baker 5334 (US); westerly arm of Quebrada Salamanca, 70 m alt, 16 Dec 1934, Dodge, Steyermark, & Allen 16996 (P, US). COLÓN: Porto Bello, 5–100 m alt, 17–18 Jan 1911, Pittier 2482 (US); Río Chagres, region above Gamboa, 25 m alt, 3 Feb 1947, Allen 4138 (MO, US): PANAMÁ: Tributary of Chagres, 5 m SW of Cerro Brewster, 300 m alt, 14 Dec 1967, Lewis, Blackwell, Hawker, Little, Nowicke,& Oliver 3386 (MO, US). DARIEN: Boca de Pauarandó, on Sambú River, 20 m alt, Feb 1912, Pittier 5572 (US); Isthmus of Darien, Barclay s.n. (K). WITHOUT EXACT LOCALITY . 1851, Weddell s.n. (P); 1851, Duchassaing s.n. (P); Seemann s.n. (K).

Aphelandra sinclairiana Nees ex Benth. is a plant species commonly called "coral aphelandra," "orange shrimp plant" or "Panama queen." It is a shrub up to 3 m (10 feet) high, native to Central America. It has been reported from Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua. It is also cultivated in warm locations elsewhere, with pink, red, orange, or red-violet flowers and bracts.

Bloom of the Panama queen in the Palm House of Kew Gardens in London England.

Close up of bloom of the Panama queen in the Palm House of Kew Gardens in London England.