Leonotis nepetifolia (L.) R.Br., Lamiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results: 

Reject, score: 13 (Go to the risk assessment (Australia))
High risk, score: 19 (Go to the risk assessment (Pacific))
Reject, score: 14 (Go to the risk assessment (U.S. (Florida)))

Other Latin names:  Phlomis nepetifolia L.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Christmas candlestick, Johnny Collins, bald head, bird honey, lion's ear, lion's tail

French: gros bouton, gros tête, pompon soldat

Spanish: rubim de bolas

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Coarse annual herbs; stems 10-25 dm long, deeply furrowed and puberulent.  Leaves membranous, oblong-ovate to ovate, 4.5-8.5 (-12) cm long, 2-5 (-9.5) cm wide, lower ones up to ca. 20 cm long and ca. 15 cm wide, both surfaces puberulent, margins coarsely crenate-serrate, apex acute to acuminate, base rounded to truncate, petioles 2-7.5 cm long, those of lower leaves up to ca. 10 cm long.  Flowers in dense globose verticillasters, 2-8 per stem, bracts linear-lanceolate, apex spinose; calyx 1.2-1.5 cm long, enlarging to 1.5-2.3 cm long in fruit, slightly curved during anthesis, 8-9-toothed, the teeth unequal, spinose, puberulent toward base, becoming hirsute above; corolla orange, 2-2.8 cm long, upper lip arched, 1-1.2 cm log, densely pubescent with orange hairs externally.  Nutlets dull black, oblong-obovoid, 2.5-4 mm long"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 803).

Habitat/ecology:  Forms dense thickets and is most abundant on heavily disturbed areas such as roadsides, overgrazed pastures and river levee banks.  It has the potential to form large colonies that displace native plants. (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998; pp. 172-173).  "Has the ability to develop into large colonies that displace native species, particularly along riverbanks and flood plains where the spiky nature of the seed heads reduces accessibility" (Smith, 2002; p. 62). 

In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in low elevation, dry to occasionally wet, disturbed habitats, 15 to ca. 300 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 803).

Propagation:  "Seeds are dispersed by water and in mud on vehicles and animals. Intentionally spread as an ornamental." (Smith, 2002; p. 62).

Native range:  Tropical Africa; widely naturalized tropical weed (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Adventice
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rurutu Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Adventice
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Tubuai Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Adventice
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 803)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 803)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank (2010) (p. 36) Voucher cited: Oppenheimer & Perlman H50808 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 803)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2003) (p. 14) Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H70118 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 803)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 68) Franc 1338 (BM), Botton in Schmidt 5346 (NOU), MacKee 31827 Spontané
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. Field notes.)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Northern Territory	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Nicholas M. (2002) (p. 62)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Nicholas M. (2002) (p. 62)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 211)
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 188)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 54) Naturalised
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 211)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Agalega Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Stoddart, D. R. (1983) (p. 125)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Coetivy Island		Robertson, S. A./Fosberg, F. R. (1983) (p. 150) Voucher cited: Roberston 3130 (K)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Comments:  "A declared noxious weed in the Northern territory. A serious weed of rice and sugarcane in South America." (Smith, 2002; p. 62).

Control:  If you know of control methods for Leonotis nepetifolia, please let us know.