ABSTRACT
Blepharis spp. (Acanthaceae) is a spiny shrub containing very few leaves. Almost the entire plant is composed of inflorescences with spiny bracts (Figure 1) in a decussate arrangement, forming 4 lines along a branch (Figure 2). In each internode of the inflorescence, there are 2 bracts with 1 flower in each. The flower contains 4 sepals: 2 of them are small and lateral and, of the other 2, there is 1 upper and 1 lower sepal which cover the monolobial corolla (Figures 2 and 3). The upper and lower sepals, later on, also cover the dry, hard capsule which contains 2 seeds. 17 , 19 Each inflorescence survives about 1 year, and later on dries out. On one plant, dead branches can be found with mature seeds from the last season and also from previous years (“seed bank”), as well as branches with green bracts in different stages of flower development and seed maturation. The seeds remain protected by the spiny dry bracts until a short time before germination (Figure l). 5 , 17
