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Pachystachys spicata

Accession Count: 201
Common Name: cardinal's guard
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Family Name: Acanthaceae
Botanical Name: Pachystachys spicata
Synonyms:
Botanical Synonyms: Justicia spicata, Pachystachys riedeliana
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics: Pachystachys spicata is a suffrutescent evergreen shrub with simple or sparing branches (1). The stems are glabrous, erect or branching, and swollen above nodes, with older stems becoming dark green to black (2), (3). Leaves are dark green, elliptical to obovate, and with prominent veins (3). They narrow at the base, with blunt tips and entire margins (1). P. spicata forms a dense spike of tubular red flowers 1-2” long, with 2 protruding stamens, and overlapping green bracts beneath (4), (5). Flowers are two-lipped, the upper lip being narrow, and the bottom lip deeply lobed in 3 (6).  Seeds are brown, flattened, and heart-shaped (1).
Compound: Pac spi
Geographic Origin: South America, Central America
Ecozone Origin: Neotropic
Biome Origin:
Natural History: Pachystachys spicata has faced great discussion about the accepted name of the species, including the validity of the genus. The plant was first collected by Hipólito Ruiz López and José Antonio Pavon (Ruiz & Pav.) on the Royal Botanical Expedition to the Viceroyalty of Peru, 1777-1816 (5), (7). Then, two original drawings were published in Flora Peruviana, et Chilensis, 1798, under the name of Justicia spicata (8). 
There is speculation that Hipólito Ruiz López and José Antonio Pavon may not have been the true collectors of P. spicata, among many other plants attributed to them in Flora Peruviana, et Chilensis. Instead, a majority of the collection may have been the work of forgotten botanists Juan Tafalla and Juan Manzanilla (9). Officially, however, the discovery of P. spicata is credited to López and Pavon (10). 

In 1847, the plant was published by Nees von Esenbeck and Christian Gottfried Daniel in Flora Brasiliensis under the name Pachystachys riedeliana (11). Later, Richard Baron included P. spicata under the name of Justicia spicata (Nees) Baron, but placed Pachystachys riedeliana in synonymy (1). The earlier epithet spicata has priority over riedeliana, and became the new official epithet (8). However, the genus was not officiated as Pachystachys until 1986 when Dieter Carl Wasshausen officiated the name as Pachystachys spicata in Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 99: 175. 1986 (10). Justicia spicata has become a basionym, and P. spicata is now the accepted name (12). 

The genus Pachystachys stems from the Greek words pachys, meaning thick, and stachys, spike or ear of corn (13) –  while the epithet spicata is Latin for spiked (14).
Cultivation Notes: Pachystachys spicata grows best in soil that is sandy, loamy, and fertilized (4). Soil must be well draining, but kept moderately moist. P. spicata tolerates a pH from slightly acidic to neutral (6.1 -7.3), humidity, and USDA hardiness zones 10a to 11 (15). Use full sun to partial shade and moderate water for the best growth (4). 
Propagation can be done via seed, and through stem or soft-wood cuttings (4), (15). If grown under the right conditions, P. spicata will be long-lived, requiring minimal maintenance including periodic selective pruning (16).
Ethnobotany: Pachystachys spicata is considered by many journals to have no economic use, only as an ornamental plant (17). However, P. spicata has been used in Cayenne, French Guiana for a variety of medicinal purposes. The whole plant is a bitter stomachic that stimulates digestion, a maceration of the leaf has been used to aid in childbirth, and an infusion of P. spicata is calmative. Additionally, an unspecified part of P. spicata has been known to relieve coughs, having bechic properties (18).
Height: 6 - 10 feet
Width: 0 - 5 feet
Growth Rate: Fast Growing
Grow Season:
Flower Season: ForeSummer
Color: Red
Function: Accent
Spread: Spreading
Allergen: Non-allergenic
Invasive: Benign
Toxicity: Benign
Hardy: Tender
Water Use: Moderate Water Use
Citations:

1. Wasshausen, Dieter. (1986) The Systematics Of The Genus Pachystachys  (Acanthaceae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.

2. Liogier, H. (1982) Descriptive Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands. La Editorial, UPR, 1994.

3. Winer, L. (2009) Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago: On Historical Principles. MQUP, 2009.

4. Plants Database. Retrieved March 18th, 2020. 

5. Chicago Botanic Garden. Retrieved March 18th, 2020. 

6. Flowers of India. Retrieved March 18th, 2020. 

7. JSTOR. Retrieved March 18th, 2020. 

8. Tropicos (Justicia Spicata Ruiz & Pav.). Retrieved March 18th, 2020.

9. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved March 18th, 2020. 

10. Tropicos (Pachystachys spicata (Ruiz & Pav.) Wassh. Retrieved March 18th, 2020. 

11. Tropicos Pachystachys riedeliana Nees. Retrieved March 18th, 2020. 

12. ITIS Report. Retrieved March 23rd, 2020. 

13. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved March 23rd, 2020. 

14. Findwords.info. Retrieved March 23rd, 2020.

15. Dave’s Garden. Retrieved March 18th, 2020. 

16. Black Olive East Nursery. Retrieved March 18th, 2020. 

17. U.S. National Plant Germplasm System. Retrieved March 18th, 2020. 

18. Medicinal Plants of the Guianas (Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Retrieved March 18th, 2020. 

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Pachystachys spicata