Hyptis brevipes Poiteau (1806: 465)

O’Leary, Nataly, 2015, Synopsis of subtribe Hyptidinae (Lamiaceae) in Argentina, Phytotaxa 233 (3), pp. 201-235 : 218

3.4. Hyptis brevipes Poiteau (1806: 465) . Fig. 10

≡ Mesosphaerum brevipes (Poit.) Kuntze (1891: 525) . Type (lectotype designated here):— COLOMBIA, “rivière de la Madeleine”, May 1801, A. Bonpland 1583 (P 136212!, isolectotype P 136211!).

= Hyptis brevipes var. serrata Briquet (1893: 227) . Type (lectotype designated by Epling 1937: 312):— VENEZUELA. Sacupana, H. Rusby & R. Squires 78 (G 437897!; isolectotypes M 110902!, MIN 1001395!, NY 6252!, US 121864!).

= Hyptis brevipes var. vulgaris Briquet (1893: 227) . Type (lectotype designated here):— BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro, A. Glaziou 13045 ( G 00437900 !; isolectotype K 0488389 !).

= Hyptis acuta Bentham (1831: 82) . Type:—not designated.

Short perennial herbs, up to 1 m high, sub-glabrous at the base, pilose towards the apex with appressed hairs and sessile glands. Leaves sessile or sub-sessile, ovate to elliptic blade, 1–6.5 × 0.3–3 cm, acute apex, attenuate base, with strigose pubescence over nervation and multiseriate hairs randomly distributed over both surfaces and dark sessile glands on abaxial surface, irregularly serrate-dentate margin. Capitula 0.6–1.5 cm diam., many-flowered, solitary, axillary to superior leaves, peduncle 0.3–1.5 cm long. Bracteoles 5–8 mm long, narrow ovate, sub-glabrous or pilose on external surface. Calyx 3–4 mm up to 6 mm in fruit, exterior sub-glabrous or pilose with some sessile glands, interior glabrous; teeth 2–2.5 mm long, sub-equal, long aristate. Corolla white with pink spots, 2.5–6 mm long. Nutlets narrow ovoid, 0.7–0.8 mm long, dark brown, smooth.

Remarks: — Hyptis brevipes occurs widely as weed, extending into the Old World. It is morphologically similar to H. lanceolata Poiret (1813: 114) , a species not native to Argentina, although collections from it have been found in anthropic habitats in or near Buenos Aires —e.g. Burkart 4924 (SI!); Nicora 889 (SI!) (R.M. Harley, pers. comm.). R.M. Harley (pers. comm.) also states that H. brevipes can be recognized especially by the hairs longer and more slender and spreading, especially on the leaf abaxial surface, which have scattered, long, slender, more or less erect hairs (not found in any form of Hyptis lanceolata ). The calyx lobes are also usually longer and more acute than in H. lanceolata . The latter species usually has much less pubescence on the leaves, and it is usually composed of short, more rigid, more or less appressed hairs, while the calyx lobes are sometimes shorter and broader. There needs to be much more research done on these two species, cytological and perhaps breeding studies, to be able to solve out specific boundaries. The type specimen of Hyptis acuta Benth. is not housed at Herb. K (L. Walsigham, pers. comm.), and has not been found elsewhere. From the protologue in Linnaea 6: 82 (1831), it is clear that the type comes from the Philippines (Manilla et Guhan = Manila and Guam). However it is far from clear who collected it. Briquet (1893) mentions several collections (syntypes) in the protologue of Hyptis brevipes var. vulgaris . A lectotype is here designated among a collection housed at G.

Distribution and habitat: — Hyptis brevipes is found from Mexico to Argentina, present throughout Mesoamerica and South America; introduced into tropical Asia. It lives in wet, open places, often altered soils or paddocks.

Selected specimens examined:— ARGENTINA. Chaco: San Fernando, Isla Soto, 18 December 1974, Burkart 31073 (SI!). Corrientes: Ituzaingó, Rio Paraná, 18 November 1976, Guaglianone 144 (SI!). Misiones: Candelaria, Loreto, 1 February 1947, Montes 2450 (SI!).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Hyptis brevipes Poiteau (details from Montes 2450, SI and branch from Crespo, 1979, modified, reprint with permission). A. Plant branch. B. Leaf, abaxial surface. C. Detail of leaf adaxial surface pubescence. D. Detail of leaf abaxial surface pubescence. E. Flower. F. Detail of bracteole. G. Calyx. H. Nutlet.