Lepechinia hastata

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Lepechinia hastata
Lepechinia hastata (9551623291).jpg
Status TNC G3.svg
Vulnerable  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Lepechinia
Species:
L. hastata
Binomial name
Lepechinia hastata
Synonyms [2]
  • Sphacele hastataA.Gray (1862)

Lepechinia hastata is a rare species of perennial shrub in the mint family commonly known as the Cape pitcher sage or Baja pitcher sage. Lepechinia hastata is an aromatic shrub characterized by large, arrowhead-shaped leaves and attractive purple to magenta flowers. In the wild, it is known from the forested mountains of the Sierra de la Laguna in Baja California Sur and the volcanic Socorro Island in the Pacific Ocean, both part of Mexico. The plants of Socorro Island are their own subspecies, and differ in their white flowers and wooly, grayer foliage.

Contents

It is also found on the Hawaiian island of Maui where it is known as pakaha. It is unclear if the Hawaiian plants are introduced or represent a natural disjunct population. In horticulture, this plant is a widely-cultivated ornamental. It is one of three species of Lepechinia in the Baja California area, with the other two, Lepechinia ganderi and Lepechinia cardiophylla , found far to the north in drier chaparral habitat. [3] [4]

Description

This species is an aromatic perennial shrub growing 0.3 to 2.3 m (0.98 to 7.55 ft) tall. The stems are 1 to 1.5 cm (0.39 to 0.59 in) thick and closely pubescent. Like in most Lamiaceae, the leaves are arranged opposite, attached to the stem by a petiole around 6.5 cm (2.6 in) long. The upper leaves towards the inflorescence are ovate and sessile. The leaves grow up to 32 cm (13 in) long and 15 cm (5.9 in) wide. The leaves are shaped hastate, with the leaf base cordate to auriculate, the leaf tip acute, and covered in velvety trichomes and raised veins. [5] [6]

The inflorescence is an open panicle, with lateral branches that are 2 to 3 times cymosely branched. The bracts are linear and measure up to 1.1 cm (0.43 in) long. The flowers emerge in axillary, cymose clusters, borne on pedicels that elongate with age and measure about 1.2 cm (0.47 in) at anthesis. The calyx consists of 5 sepals that are fused at the base, the calyx tube 2 to 4 mm (0.079 to 0.157 in) long at anthesis, while the corolla is 4-lobed, 11 to 21 mm (0.43 to 0.83 in) long and colored a purple-magenta. [5] [6] [7]

In habitat, Maui Starr-980630-1510-Lepechinia hastata-flowers-Housing HNP-Maui (24497040516).jpg
In habitat, Maui

The fruit is divided into 4 nutlets, colored a glossy black, about 5 mm (0.20 in) long and 2.5 mm (0.098 in) wide. [5]

Taxonomy

Taxonomic history

This species was first described as Sphacele hastata by Asa Gray in 1862, from plants collected by the United States Exploring Expedition led by Charles Wilkes. The type locality is Mouna Haleakala on Maui, at high elevations. [8]

In 1940, botanist Carl Epling, who was the major authority on the Lamiaceae, renamed S. hastata into Lepechinia hastata, and based on collections by Gentry, noted their presence in the oak-pine forests of the Sierra de La Laguna of the Cape region of Baja California Sur. [9]

Detail of the leaves Lepechinia hastata 4zz.jpg
Detail of the leaves

The plants on Socorro Island were discovered by Ivan M. Johnston in 1931 and placed as L. hastata proper, with Lepechinia expert Carl Epling concurring with the identification, but later examination of flowering plants on Socorro in 1989 led to Reid Moran separating the Socorro plants as their own subspecies due to morphological differences. [6]

Placement

Epling placed L. hastata in the section Thyrsiflorae, which only has one other species, L.nelsonii, from Jalisco and Guerrero, Mexico. The section is distinguished by the open paniculate structure of the inflorescence with is 2 to 3 times cymosely branched. The two species are most similar in their flowers and inflorescences, but differ in their foliage, as L. nelsonii has elliptic or lanceolate leaves that are sessile. [7] Section Thyrsiflorae is most closely allied to the section Speciosae, with L. hastata being most similar in some aspects to that section's L. salviae . [5]

Subdivisions

Distribution and habitat

Mexico

In Baja California Sur, subspecies hastata is distributed in the Cape region at the tip of the peninsula, at high elevations in the Sierra de La Laguna. It is found growing in shaded canyons and the Sierra de la Laguna pine–oak forests. [3] [4]

Detail of the flower, in habitat in Baja California Sur Lepechinia hastata 6872488.jpg
Detail of the flower, in habitat in Baja California Sur

On Socorro Island, subspecies socorrensis is found growing on the upper half of the southern slope of the island, typically in rocky places with low vegetation, where it is often the dominant shrub. The abundance of the plant in spite of the existence of introduced grazing sheep indicates that it may be distasteful to them. [6]

Fruiting in habitat, Baja California Sur Lepechinia hastata 39010013.jpg
Fruiting in habitat, Baja California Sur

Hawaii

In the Hawaiian Islands, subspecies hastata is only found on Maui in an "uninterrupted belt" around Haleakala, at an elevation of about 2,000 to 3,000 ft (610 to 910 m) above sea level. [5] Compared with the plants of the Cape region and Socorro Island, the plants of Maui vary in the amount and color of their hairs, with some having a similar amount of pubescence to those on Socorro, and others having less pubescence. [6]

The disjunct distribution between Hawaiian plants and the other plants of subsp. hastata in the Baja California Cape suggests that either this species has been introduced by humans to Hawaii, or that a biogeographic problem must be resolved to explain the distribution. The majority of Lepechinia species are only found in North and South America, [5] and one of the only other outliers, Lepechinia stellata (now a synonym of L. chilensis [10] ), was only known from a fragmentary herbarium record from Réunion Island, as the original type specimen was lost. [7] A taxonomic study of the genus conducted in 2011 suggests that the occurrences from Réunion and Hawaii are probably human introductions. [11]

Uses

This species has been used historically as a remedy to treat uterine infections. [3]

This species is cultivated as an ornamental plant, and can survive in poor, dry soils. It is recommended to place it in areas with afternoon shade. [12] In cultivation, it is sometimes erroneously named as Lepechinia salviae , [13] a similar but distinct species from Chile. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sierra de la Laguna</span> Mountain range at the southern end of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico

The Sierra de la Laguna is a mountain range at the southern end of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico, and is the southernmost range of the Peninsular Ranges System.

<i>Agave shawii</i> Species of succulent plant from North America

Agave shawii is a species of monocarpic succulent plant in the genus Agave, commonly known as Shaw's agave. It is a rosette-forming plant characterized by glossy, green leaves with toothed margins. After several years of slow growth, the plant puts all of its resources to produce a towering stalk of flowers, and then dies. The death of the flowering rosette is compensated by the growth of numerous clonal pups. This species is segregated into two subspecies, one native to the coast of southwestern California and northwestern Baja California, known commonly as the coast agave, and another native to the Baja California Desert, known as the Goldman agave.

<i>Lepechinia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Lepechinia is a genus of plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It includes several species of plants known commonly as pitchersages. Plants of this genus can be found in Central and South America, Mexico, California, Hispaniola, and Hawaii, although the species in Hawaii is probably a human introduction. Many of them bear attractive pitcher-shaped flowers, often in shades of purple. The genus was named for the Russian botanist Ivan Ivanovich Lepechin. Recently, the two monotypic genera Chaunostoma and Neoeplingia were shown to be part of Lepechinia.

  1. Lepechinia anomalaEpling - southern Brazil
  2. Lepechinia bellaEpling - Bolivia
  3. Lepechinia betonicaefolia(Lam.) Epling - Colombia, Ecuador
  4. Lepechinia bullata (Kunth) Epling - Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
  5. Lepechinia calycina(Benth.) Epling ex Munz – pitcher sage, woodbalm - California
  6. Lepechinia cardiophyllaEpling – Santa Ana pitcher sage - southern California, Baja California
  7. Lepechinia caulescens(Ortega) Epling - Mexico, Guatemala
  8. Lepechinia chamaedryoides(Balb.) Epling - Chile
  9. Lepechinia cocuyensisJ.R.I.Wood - Colombia
  10. Lepechinia codonEpling - Peru
  11. Lepechinia conferta(Benth.) Epling - Colombia, Venezuela
  12. Lepechinia dioicaJ.A.Hart - Ecuador
  13. Lepechinia flammeaMart.Gord. & Lozada-Pérez - Guerrero
  14. Lepechinia floribunda(Benth.) Epling - Peru, Bolivia, Argentina
  15. Lepechinia fragrans(Greene) Epling – island pitcher sage, fragrant pitcher sage - southern California including offshore Channel Islands
  16. Lepechinia ganderiEpling – San Diego pitcher sage - southern California, Baja California
  17. Lepechinia glomerataEpling - Jalisco
  18. Lepechinia hastata(A.Gray) Epling – pakata - Baja California and Baja California Sur, including Revillagigedo Islands; naturalized in Hawaii
  19. Lepechinia heteromorpha (Briq.) Epling - Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia
  20. Lepechinia lamiifolia(Benth.) Epling - Ecuador, Peru
  21. Lepechinia lancifolia(Rusby) Epling - Bolivia
  22. Lepechinia leucophylloides(Ramamoorthy, Hiriart & Medrano) B.T.Drew, Cacho & Sytsma - Hidalgo
  23. Lepechinia maricaEpling & Mathias - Peru
  24. Lepechinia mecistandra(Donn.Sm.) H.K.Moon - Chiapas, Guatemala, El Salvador
  25. Lepechinia mexicana(S.Schauer) Epling - central + northeastern Mexico
  26. Lepechinia meyenii(Walp.) Epling - Peru, Bolivia, Argentina
  27. Lepechinia mollis(Epling) Epling - Peru
  28. Lepechinia mutica(Benth.) Epling - Ecuador
  29. Lepechinia nelsonii(Fernald) Epling - central + southern Mexico
  30. Lepechinia paniculata(Kunth) Epling - Ecuador
  31. Lepechinia radula (Benth.) Epling - Ecuador, Peru
  32. Lepechinia rossiiS.Boyd & Mistretta – Ross' pitcher sage - southern California
  33. Lepechinia rufocampiiEpling & Mathias - Ecuador
  34. Lepechinia salviae(Lindl.) Epling - Chile
  35. Lepechinia salviifolia(Kunth) Epling - Colombia, Venezuela
  36. Lepechinia schiedeana(Schltdl.) Vatke - Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela
  37. Lepechinia scobinaEpling - Peru
  38. Lepechinia speciosa(A.St.-Hil. ex Benth.) Epling - southern Brazil
  39. Lepechinia tomentosa(Benth.) Epling - Peru
  40. Lepechinia urbani (Briq.) Epling - Hispaniola
  41. Lepechinia velutinaJ.R.I.Wood - Colombia
  42. Lepechinia vesiculosa(Benth.) Epling - Peru, Bolivia, Argentina
  43. Lepechinia vulcanicolaJ.R.I.Wood - Colombia
  44. Lepechinia yecoranaHenrickson, Fishbein & T.Van Devender - Sonora
<i>Eriogonum wrightii</i> Species of wild buckwheat

Eriogonum wrightii is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common names bastardsage and Wright's buckwheat. It is native to the Southwestern United States, California, and northwest Mexico, where it grows in many plant communities, such as chaparral, in rocky habitats from mountains to deserts.

<i>Euphorbia misera</i> Species of flowering plant

Euphorbia misera is a semi-succulent shrub in the genus Euphorbia commonly known as the cliff spurge or coast spurge. A drought-deciduous shrub, it is typically found as a gnarled, straggly plant occupying seashore bluffs, hills and deserts. Like other members of its genus, it has a milky sap, which can be found exuding out of the light gray bark when damaged. The alternately-arranged leaves are round and folded in the middle, with small hairs on them. The "flowers" can be found blooming year-round, and are colored maroon or yellow in the center with 5 white to light-yellow petal-like appendages attached outside. This species is native to the Baja California peninsula and Sonora in Mexico, and the coast of southern California in the United States, where it is a rare species. It is threatened in some localities by the development of its coastal habitat, which tends to be prime locations for high-end residential and commercial developments.

<i>Isocoma menziesii</i> Species of flowering plant

Isocoma menziesii is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, known by the common name Menzies' goldenbush.

<i>Lepechinia cardiophylla</i> Species of plant

Lepechinia cardiophylla is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common names Santa Ana pitcher sage and heart-leaved pitcher sage. A broad-leaved fragrant shrub, it has distinct pitcher-shaped flowers. It is native to the Peninsular Ranges and found in the Santa Ana Mountains of Southern California, a few locations in San Diego County, and some of the coastal mountains of northern Baja California. Few populations of the plant are known and many of them are located in areas that are threatened by development and other human activity.

<i>Lepechinia ganderi</i> Species of plant

Lepechinia ganderi is a rare species of perennial shrub in the mint family known by the common name San Diego pitcher sage or Gander's pitcher sage. An aromatic plant with white to lavender flowers, this species is only known from southern San Diego County in California and a small portion of Baja California, occurring on chaparral or coastal sage scrub in metavolcanic soils. Because of its limited range, it is under threat from growing urbanization and increased fire frequency.

<i>Pachycormus discolor</i> Species of flowering plant

Pachycormus is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the cashew family commonly known as the Baja elephant tree, torote blanco, or copalquín. The single species Pachycormus discolor is endemic to the Baja California peninsula, with three varieties. This sarcocaulescent tree or shrub is characterized by its unique gnarled growth habit, skin-like exfoliating bark, and succulent nature, whose appearance has been colorfully described as "the proboscis of an elephant holding a nosegay," a "huge radish protruding from the ground," or "grotesque resemblances of the flexed limbs of a corpulent human being." This drought-deciduous species spends most of the year dormant, but following rains pinnate green leaves emerge, and in the late spring to summer the leaves yellow, fall, and give way to bright red, cream, or pink flowers that give it a striking appearance in bloom.

<i>Dudleya attenuata</i> Species of succulent

Dudleya attenuata is a species of perennial succulent plant known by the common name taper-tip liveforever, native to Baja California and a small portion of California. A rosette-forming leaf succulent, it has narrow pencil shaped leaves that can often be found covered in a white epicuticular wax. The thin, sprawling stems branch to form the clusters of rosettes, with plants creating a "clump" up to 40 cm wide. The small flowers are white or yellow, with 5 spreading petals. It is a diverse, variable species that extends from the southernmost coast of San Diego County to an area slightly north of the Vizcaino Desert, hybridizing with many other species of Dudleya in its range. Some plants with white or pinkish flowers were referred to as Orcutt's liveforever, referring to a former subspecies split on the basis of the flower color.

<i>Xylonagra</i> Genus of flowering plants

Xylonagra arborea is a flowering plant endemic to the western side of the Baja California Peninsula. It is a bushy shrub distinguished by showy, scarlet flowers that are attractive to hummingbirds. It is the sole species in the genus Xylonagra, which belongs to the family Onagraceae.

<i>Dudleya rigida</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae

Dudleya rigida is a species of succulent perennial plant in the family Crassulaceae known commonly as the La Laguna liveforever. Characterized by a tall inflorescence with pendant yellowish-red flowers, it is a very rare plant whose existence was doubtful until botanist Reid Moran accidentally re-discovered it. It is endemic to the Sierra de la Laguna in Baja California Sur, Mexico.

<i>Dudleya gatesii</i> Species of succulent plant

Dudleya gatesii, known by the common name as Gates'liveforever, is a species of perennial succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae. It is native to the central desert of the Baja California peninsula, found growing along dry and rocky outcroppings. It is characterized by red inflorescences topped with white flowers, bracts that are often reflexed downwards, and a rosette of dark-green leaves turning reddish.

<i>Dudleya arizonica</i> Species of perennial

Dudleya arizonica is a species of perennial succulent plant commonly known as the Arizona chalk dudleya and the Arizona liveforever. A member of the genus Dudleya, this species is characterized by long, red flowers that adorn a waxy rosette of succulent leaves. It resembles a reduced desert form of the more coastal chalk dudleya, Dudleya pulverulenta, but differs in its smaller stature, lower number of leaves, and orientation of the flowers. Native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, it is widespread in range, but is primarily found in scattered, widely separated localities. It can be found as far west as coastal Ensenada to the desolate desert ranges of Nevada. It is one of two species of Dudleya that occur in Arizona, the other being Dudleya saxosa subsp. collomiae, and is the only species on mainland Mexico and in Utah.

<i>Dudleya nubigena</i> Species of succulent plant from Mexico

Dudleya nubigena is a species of succulent plants in the family Crassulaceae. It is a rosette forming perennial with flattish leaves. Endemic to southern Baja California Sur, the species is found in the Sierra de la Laguna and the surrounding lowlands, and on Cerralvo Island.

<i>Fouquieria diguetii</i> Species of plant

Fouquieria diguetii, known by the common names Adam's tree and palo Adán, is a plant in the family Fouquieriaceae native to the southern half of the Baja California Peninsula, and the coasts of Sonora and Sinaloa. It is a semi-succulent and deciduous plant related to the ocotillo and the Boojum tree. It is distinguished by its bright red, tubular flowers, a shrub to small tree habit, and conical, paniculate inflorescences.

<i>Bidens nudata</i> Species of perennial plant

Bidens nudata is a species of perennial plant in the family Asteraceae commonly known as the Cape beggar's tick or Baja tickseed. This species is endemic to the Sierra de la Laguna and the Sierra de las Cacachilas of Baja California Sur, Mexico. It is characterized by a mounding habit, pinnate green leaves and large yellow daisy-like flowers. This species has found uses in horticulture as an ornamental, providing a drought-tolerant and durable plant for the garden.

<i>Nolina beldingii</i> Species of plant native to Mexico

Nolina beldingii is a species of perennial flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae known commonly as the Cape nolina or Belding's beargrass. It is an arborescent monocot growing up to 7 metres (23 ft) high, with fissured bark on a trunk topped with leaf rosettes. The narrow leaves are up to 1.15 m (3.8 ft) long, and are used as thatching by local peoples. This species is endemic to Baja California Sur in Mexico, where it grows only in the highest reaches of the Sierra de la Laguna. It is found primarily in oak forests at elevations over 1,000 m (3,300 ft) along rocky granite outcrops.

<i>Ruellia californica</i>

Ruellia californica is a species of flowering plant in the Acanthus family commonly known as the rama parda or flor del campo. This evergreen shrub is native to the Baja California peninsula and neighboring coastal Sonora. It is characterized by showy, funnelform blue-purple flowers that bloom throughout the year. There are two subspecies, one endemic to Baja California Sur, and they primarily differ in their presence or absence of hairs on their foliage. This plant is cultivated as an ornamental, and is used to provide a colorful accent to desert and dry gardens.

<i>Justicia austrocapensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Justicia austrocapensis is a species of perennial herb in the Acanthus family commonly known as the Cape tube-tongue or chuparrosa. J. austrocapensis is characterized by solitary, pink, two-lipped tubular flowers up to 27 mm (1.1 in) long that emerge from the leaf axils. It is one of two Justicia species endemic to the Cape region of Baja California Sur, the other being the larger, shrubby, red-flowered Justicia purpusii. It is most similar to other species formerly placed in Siphonoglossa, such as Justicia sessilis of the West Indies and South America.

References

  1. ↑ "Lepechinia hastata". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  2. ↑ "Lepechinia hastata". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Rebman, Jon P.; Roberts, Norman C. (2012). Baja California Plant Field Guide (3rd ed.). San Diego: Sunbelt Publications. p. 296. ISBN   978-0-916251-18-5.
  4. 1 2 Rebman, Jon P.; Gibson, Judy; Rich, Karen (15 November 2016). "Annotated Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Baja California, Mexico" (PDF). Proceedings of the San Diego Society of Natural History. San Diego Natural History Museum. 45: 181 – via San Diego Plant Atlas & San Diego Natural History Museum.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Morley, Brian; Dutkiewicz, Del. L. (1978). "PLANT PORTRAIT: 8. Lepechinia hastata (A. Gray) Epling (Lamiaceae)". Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Garden. 1 (3): 197–199. ISSN   0313-4083.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Levin, Geoffrey A.; Moran, Reid (1989). "The Vascular Flora of Isla Socorro, Mexico". Memoirs of the San Diego Society of Natural History. San Diego, California: San Diego Society of Natural History. 16: 39–41 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  7. 1 2 3 Epling, Carl (1948-03-01). "A Synopsis of the Tribe Lepechinieae (Labiatae)". Brittonia. 6 (3): 352–364. doi:10.2307/2804837. ISSN   1938-436X. This presumed species is known only from a fragment in the Jardin des Plantes, Paris. The original type is apparently lost.
  8. ↑ Gray, Asa (1862). "Characters of New or Obscure Species of Plants of Monopetalous Orders in the Collection of the United States South Pacific Exploring Expedition under Captain Charles Wiles, U. S. N. With occasional Remarks, &c". Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Boston, Metcalf and Co. 5: 341 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  9. ↑ Epling, Carl (1940). "Supplementary Notes on American Labiatae". Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club. 67 (6): 509–534. doi:10.2307/2480972. ISSN   0040-9618.
  10. ↑ "Lepechinia stellata". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  11. ↑ Drew, Bryan T.; Sytsma, Kenneth J. (2011-11-14). "Testing the Monophyly and Placement of Lepechinia in the Tribe Mentheae (Lamiaceae)". Systematic Botany. 36 (4): 1038–1049. doi:10.1600/036364411X605047. ISSN   0363-6445. The occurrences in Hawaii and Reunion Island are probably human introductions, however ( Hart 1983 ; Harley et al. 2004 ; B. Drew, unpublished data).
  12. ↑ Hanlon, Patrice (2017). "The Garden Coach: Lepechinia hastate starts blooming in August as other plants fade". The Mercury News. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  13. ↑ "Lepechinia hastata". Royal Horticultural Society. 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022. Lepechinia salviae misapplied
  14. ↑ Bell, Karen L.; Rangan, Haripriya; Fernandes, Manuel M.; Kull, Christian A.; Murphy, Daniel J. (2017-04-12). "Chance long-distance or human-mediated dispersal? How Acacia s.l. farnesiana attained its pan-tropical distribution". Royal Society Open Science. 4 (4): 170105. doi:10.1098/rsos.170105. ISSN   2054-5703. PMC   5414274 . PMID   28484637.
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