Condea Adanson (1763: 504)

O’Leary, Nataly, 2015, Synopsis of subtribe Hyptidinae (Lamiaceae) in Argentina, Phytotaxa 233 (3), pp. 201-235 : 208

2. Condea Adanson (1763: 504)

Type:— Condea americana (Poir.) Harley & Pastore (2012: 12) [= Satureja americana Poiret (1805: 571) ].

= Hypothronia Schrank (1824: 85) . Type:— Hypothronia undata Schrank (1824: 85) [= Condea undulata (Schrank) Harley & J.F.B.Pastore ].

Perennial herbs, stems hispid at the base, sub-glabrous or with glandular hairs at the apex. Leaves petiolate, dense villous or scabrous pubescence, ovate blade, cuneate, round, truncate or cordate base, acute apex, irregularly serrate margin, abaxial surface scabrous or hispid, adaxial surface scabrous. Flowers sessile or with strigose or glabrous pedicels, solitary or arranged in few-flowered verticillasters, up to 8 flowers, axillary to inconspicuous or foliaceous bracts, forming large terminal panicles or dense pseudo-spikes of graceful appearance. Presence of two, conspicuous or not, bracteoles at the base of the calyx. Calyx campanulate, with 5 triangular teeth. Corolla white or pink, violet or lilac color, superior lip bilobate, inferior lip trilobate, the central lobe cupped. Stamens with pubescent filaments and divergent thecae, stigmatic branches sub-equal. Nutlets ellipsoid, chestnut color, often with two pale, corky(?) swellings on outer side.

Condea is a genus of 26 species distributed from North America to South America. In Argentina there are three native species, all the three characterized by solitary flowers or few flowered cymes, disposed in the axil of small bracts, all assembled in lax paniculiform inflorescences or dense pseudo-spikes. Swellings on nutlets appear to be an adapation as a flotation device to aid dispersal by water, during the rainy season (R.M. Harley, pers. comm.).