Aphelandra espirito-santensis (Acanthaceae), a New Species from Espirito Santo, Brazil

A new Brazilian species of the genus Aphelandra is described and illustrated. It is related to Aphelandra ignea but differs markedly from that taxon by its leaf blades and the ovate to spathulate bracts with 4-5 spines on the margin. Aphelandra is represented in Brazil by 28 species. They occur from the Floresta Amazonica to the Floresta Atlan- tica. Aphelandra R. Brown is a morphologically di- verse genus characterized by a lack of cystoliths, a corolla with a distinct upper lip, four monothecous stamens, and elongated, tricolporate pollen. The result of a recently completed study of Acan- thaceae specimens deposited in the Jardim Botanico do Rio de Janeiro (RB) has led to the discovery of an undescribed species.