Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

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Hyptis suaveolens
(L.) Poit., Lamiaceae
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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Reject, score: 19 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

Chamorro: mumutun

English: chan, horehound, pignut, stinking Roger, wild spikenard

French: gros baume, hyptis à odeur

Spanish: chao, hierba de las muelas, hortela do campo

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Strong-scented herb to 1.5 m tall with quadrate hairy stems and ovate to obovate leaves 3-5 cm long and 2-4 cm wide, the margins serrulate, lower surface densely hairy; petioles up to 3 cm long.  Flowers in small cymes along branch ends with reduced leaves.  Calyx 5 mm long in flower, 10 mm long in fruit, ribbed.  Corolla blue.  Nutlets about 1.2-1.5 mm long, slightly notched at the end" (Stone, 1970; pp. 511-512).

Habitat/ecology:  Favors dry open locations (Stone, 1970; pp. 511-512). In Hawai‘i, "now sparingly naturalized in relatively dry, disturbed sites, 150-300 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 802, 1882). In Australia, "roadsides, disturbed or overgrazed areas, watercourses, pastures and open forests where soil is well drained. Forms dense thickets, especially on flood plain margins and around camp sites." (Smith, 2002; p. 61). In New Guinea, "a weed of roadsides and pastures; considered dangerous to livestock. Widely spread at low altitudes" (Henty & Pritchard, 1975; p. 106).

Propagation:  "Seed in flower heads spread by water.  Seeds also dispersed by animals, humans, vehicles (including slashers and machinery), and when attached to fur, clothing and mud." (Smith, 2002; p. 61). Often a contaminant in pasture grass seed. As with H. capitata, the seed can remain dormant under the rainforest canopy for many years until an opening is created.

Native range:  Tropical America, now widespread as a weed.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
Federated States of Micronesia
Chuuk Islands
Chuuk Islands   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1947) (voucher ID: BISH 150563)
Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit.
Federated States of Micronesia
Chuuk Islands
Dublon (Tonowas) Island introduced
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 241)
Federated States of Micronesia
Chuuk Islands
Fefan Island introduced
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 241)
Federated States of Micronesia
Chuuk Islands
Param Island introduced
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 241)
Federated States of Micronesia
Chuuk Islands
Param Island   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1936) (voucher ID: BISH 150562)
Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit.
Federated States of Micronesia
Chuuk Islands
Ulalu (Romonum) Island introduced
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 241)
Federated States of Micronesia
Chuuk Islands
Weno (Moen) Island introduced
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 241)
Federated States of Micronesia
Chuuk Islands
Weno (Moen) Island   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1946) (voucher ID: BISH 150561)
Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit.
Federated States of Micronesia
Yap Islands
Yap (Waqab) Island introduced
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 241)
Federated States of Micronesia
Yap Islands
Yap (Waqab) Island   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1936) (voucher ID: BISH 150560)
Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit.
Federated States of Micronesia
Yap Islands
Yap (Waqab) Island   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1948) (voucher ID: BISH 150564)
Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit.
French Polynesia
Society Islands
Tahiti Island   ? (year unknown)
Guam
Guam Island
Guam Island introduced
invasive
Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (pp. 511-512)
Vouchers cited: Stone 3862 (GUAM), Stone 4393 (GUAM)
Guam
Guam Island
Guam Island introduced
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 241)
Guam
Guam Island
Guam Island   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (year unknown) (voucher ID: BISH 150612)
Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit.
Guam
Guam Island
Guam Island   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1946) (voucher ID: BISH 436413)
Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit.
Guam
Guam Island
Guam Island   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1966) (voucher ID: BISH 655716)
Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit.
Guam
Guam Island
Guam Island   Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1966) (voucher ID: BISH 655718)
Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit.
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Hawai‘i (Big) Island introduced
invasive
Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 802)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Maui Island introduced
invasive
Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. (2006) (p. 36)
East Maui. Voucher cited: Starr & Martz 010726-1 (BISH)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
O‘ahu Island introduced
invasive
Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R. (1995) (p. 22)
Voucher cited: Imada et al. s.n. (BISH)
Niue
Niue
Niue Island introduced
invasive
Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara M./Newfield, Melanie/Bull, Cate (2004) (p. 11)
Initial control action taken.
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island) introduced
invasive
Henty, E. E./Pritchard, G. H. (1975) (p. 106)
Philippines
Philippine Islands
Philippine Islands   Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (pp. 189-190)
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands   Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 93)
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands native
Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 83)
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
Smith, Nicholas M. (2002) (p. 61)
Australia
Australia (continental)
Queensland introduced
invasive
Smith, Nicholas M. (2002) (p. 61)
China
China
China (People's Republic of)   Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (pp. 189-190)
Colombia
Colombia
Colombia (Republic of)   Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (pp. 189-190)
Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (Republic of)   Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (pp. 189-190)
Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia (Republic of)   Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (pp. 189-190)
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico (United Mexican States)   Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (pp. 189-190)
Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (Republic of)   Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (pp. 189-190)
Panama
Panama
Panama (Republic of)   Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (pp. 189-190)
Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan Island   Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (pp. 189-190)
Thailand
Thailand
Thailand (Kingdom of)   Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (pp. 189-190)
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)   Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (pp. 189-190)
Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
Mauritius
Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)
Mauritius Island   Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (pp. 189-190)

Comments:  On Hawai‘i State and Northern Territory, Australia, noxious weed lists.

Control: 

Physical: Grub and burn small infestations.

Chemical: "Use an overall spray of amine or ester 2,4-D, spot spraying where applicable.  All sprays should be applied before flowering begins.  Other herbicides such as dicamba, clopyralid and picloram based mixtures also are effective but more expensive"  (Parsons and Cuthbertson, 1992; pp. 490-492).

Additional information:  Additional online information about Hyptis suaveolens is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Hyptis suaveolens may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 0. Voucher specimen #BISH 150612 (Thompson, J.B. 144).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1936. Voucher specimen #BISH 150560 (Takamatsu, M. 1897).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1936. Voucher specimen #BISH 150562 (Takamatsu, M. 322).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1946. Voucher specimen #BISH 150561 (Fosberg, F.R. 24424).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1946. Voucher specimen #BISH 436413 (Fosberg, F.R. 25406).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1947. Voucher specimen #BISH 150563 (Wong, C.C.Y. 220).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1948. Voucher specimen #BISH 150564 (Wong, C.C.Y. 536).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1966. Voucher specimen #BISH 655716 (Evans, M. 1705).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1966. Voucher specimen #BISH 655718 (Evans, M. 1531).

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1979. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian dicotyledonae. Micronesica 15:1-295.

Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. 1988. Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin No. 7. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Honiara. 203 pp.

Henty, E. E./Pritchard, G. H. 1975. Weeds of New Guinea and their control. 2nd edition. Department of Forests, Division of Botany, Botany Bull. No. 7. Lae, Papua New Guinea. 180 pp.

Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds. John Wiley & Sons, New York. 391 pp.

Parsons, W. T./Cuthbertson, E. G. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia. Inkata Press, Melbourne/Sydney. 692 pp.

Smith, Nicholas M. 2002. Weeds of the wet/dry tropics of Australia - a field guide. Environment Centre NT, Inc. 112 pp.

Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara M./Newfield, Melanie/Bull, Cate. 2004. Report to the Government of Niue and the United Nations Development Programme: Invasive plant species on Niue following Cyclone Heta. UNDP NIU/98/G31 - Niue Enabling Activity. 80 pp.

Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. 2006. New plant records from the Hawaiian Archipelago. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucias G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2004-2005. Part 1: Articles. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 87:31-43.

Stone, Benjamin C. 1970. The flora of Guam. Micronesica 6:1-659.

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R. 1995. Contributions to the Flora of Hawai‘i. IV. New Records and name changes. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Miller, Scott, E., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1994. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 42:13-27.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).


Need more info? Have questions? Comments? Information to contribute? Contact PIER! (pier@hear.org)

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This page was created on 1 JAN 1999 and was last updated on 18 OCT 2006.