Hyptis capitata
Content
Description
Stout, erect annual herb, 0.5-2.5 m, not aromatic.
Leaves lanceolate or rhomboid-elliptic, 6-10(-14) by 1.5-4(-6) cm, acute or acuminate, base cuneate and decurrent;
Flowers oo in crowded verticillasters forming axillary, solitary globular heads, 0.8-1 cm Ø (1.5-2 cm Ø in fruit);
Distribution
Asia-Temperate: Hainan (Hainan present), Asia-Tropical: Philippines (Philippines present), Guam present, Micronesia present, Old World, Solomons present, tropical America
Native of tropical America, since long naturalized in all tropics, and throughout Malesia, also in Hainan, Micronesia and the Solomons.
Specimens in Guam have already been collected by GAUDICHAUD and Philippines records date from BLANCO, SO that the import in the Old World may well have occurred along the old Spanish transpacific galleon route.
Specimens in Guam have already been collected by GAUDICHAUD and Philippines records date from BLANCO, SO that the import in the Old World may well have occurred along the old Spanish transpacific galleon route.
Uses
In the Philippines a decoction of the leaves is used for cleansing wounds and against amenor-rhoea (Quis. l.c. 817).
Notes
EPLING (1933, l.c.) first referred the Malesian specimens to H. decurrens (BLANCO) EPLING, but in his monograph of 1949 he reduced this to H. rhomboidea MART. & GAL. which name I used also in my precursor. However, after a close study of many specimens from various parts of the world, I agree with BENTHAM, MIQUEL, and MERRILL to accept the name H. capitata, although EPLING (1949, l.c.) maintains that this is central American (Mexico to Peru) and that the Old World weed belongs to the Mexican H. rhomboidea JACQ.; but in his key (1949, l.c. 459) the reverse is said. The only true differences which I can distract from his key and descriptions are that in H. rhom-boidea the stem is distinctly hairy on the angles (indistinctly so or glabrous in H. capitata) and that in flowering heads the calyx tube is 2 mm with teeth of 2 mm (in H. capitata 1.5 mm and 1.5 mm respectively). Apart from the minuteness of these characters for specific distinction, I have found them to be inconstant by intermediates as to the degree of hairiness of the ribs and to the size of the calyx teeth. Besides, these two characters occur in several specimens in all combinations in Javanese material.
I have also reduced H. mariannarum (BRIQ.) EPLING and believe that H. macrocephala MART. & GAL. is also conspecific, which EPLING himself suggests. There may be many more reductions necessary in subsect. Genuinae before a tolerable specific concept is reached, as at least EPLING'S key is very shaky and characters used do not appear to have great taxonomic value.
I have also reduced H. mariannarum (BRIQ.) EPLING and believe that H. macrocephala MART. & GAL. is also conspecific, which EPLING himself suggests. There may be many more reductions necessary in subsect. Genuinae before a tolerable specific concept is reached, as at least EPLING'S key is very shaky and characters used do not appear to have great taxonomic value.
Citation
VIDAL 1885: Phan. Cuming. Philip.: 136
HOLTH. & LAM 1942 – In: Blumea: 237
HENTY & PRITCHARD 1975: p. 105. – In: Bot. Bull. Lae: fig.
Merr. 1906 – In: Philip. J. Sc.: Suppl. 122
Koord. 1912 – In: Exk. Fl. Java: 153
BACK. 1931: Onkr. Suiker.: 566
BTH. 1848 – In: DC., Prod. 12: 106
Merr. 1916 – In: Philip. J. Sc.: Bot. 311
JACQ. 1923 – In: En. Philip.: 416
JACQ. 1912: Fl. Manila: 409
KENG 1969: p. 92. – In: Gard. Bull. Sing.: f. 15
JACQ. 1886: Rev. Pl. Vasc. Filip.: 213
MUKERJEE 1940 – In: Rec. Bot. Surv. India: 63
EPLING 1949 – In: Rev. Mus. La Plata n.s.: 470
Merr. 1923 – In: En. Philip.: 416
KUDO 1929 – In: Mem. Fac. Sc. & Agr. Taihoku Un.: 147
BACK. & BAKH.f. 1965 – In: Fl. Java: 634
BLANCO 1878: p. 251. – In: Fl. Filip., ed. 3: t. 294
EPLING 1949 – In: Rev. Mus. La Plata n.s.: 468
BOERL. 1899 – In: Handl.: 714
JACQ. 1918: Sp. Blanc.: 338
BRIQ. 1898 – In: Ann. Cons. Jard. Bot. Genève: 225
JACQ. 1973: Atlas: t. 537
Merr. 1910 – In: Philip. J. Sc.: Bot. 381
QUIS. 1951: Medic. Pl. Philip.: 817
Miq. 1858 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 958
F.-VILL. 1880: Nov. App.: 164
DAMMERMAN 1926 – In: Nat. Tijd. N. I.: 75, 93
JACQ. 1786 – In: Collect.: 102