Hyptis Jacquin (1787: 101)

O’Leary, Nataly, 2015, Synopsis of subtribe Hyptidinae (Lamiaceae) in Argentina, Phytotaxa 233 (3), pp. 201-235 : 211-212

3. Hyptis Jacquin (1787: 101) nom. cons. ( Briquet 1906)

Type (lectotype designated by Green 1929: 107):— Hyptis capitata Jacq. , typ. cons.

Perennial herbs, sub-glabrous to pilose, strigose or hispid stems, with or without glandular hairs and scattered sessile glands. Leaves sessile or petiolate, blade elliptic, ovate, cordate, triangular or oblong, acute or obtuse apex, acute, cordate, amplexicaul, truncate, obtuse or round base, variously pubescent on both surfaces. Inflorescences formed by peduncled globose capitula, many-flowered, solitary, axillary to superior leaves or foliaceous bracts, with an involucre of narrow or wide ovate bracteoles or linear and filiform bracteoles. Flowers sub-sessile, pilose pubescence at the base, with hairs born at the receptacle. Calyx exterior sub-glabrous to slightly pilose with or without sessile glands, interior glabrous or with a dense band of thick and short hairs; teeth triangular or deltoid, subulate or long aristate apex, sometimes enlarged apex forming foliaceous orbicular appendage with pilose margins. Corolla white or pink or violet color, bilobed, inferior lobe trilobed, the central lobe cupped. Nutlets ovoid, 1–1.5 mm long, dark brown or chestnut color, smooth.

Based on molecular studies Hyptis s.l. has been recently fragmented into multiple genera ( Pastore et al. 2011). Hyptis s.str. is an American genus of ca. 140 taxa, mostly present in tropical and subtropical savannas, few species in the Old World. In Argentina there are 11 native species and one subspecies, present mainly in the northeast of the territory, with only one species present in the northwest.