Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit., Lamiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

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

Other Latin names:  Ballota suaveolens L.; Mesosphaerum suaveolens (L.) Kuntze

Common name(s): [more details]

Chamorro: mumutun

Chinese: shan xiang

Chuukese: lekenek, mengit, nekenek, nokonok

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

French: gros baume, hyptis à odeur

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

Yapese: lamar nuteth

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:  Neotropics; widely naturalized in tropics and subtropics (GRIN).

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	Parem (Param) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 241)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Parem (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.
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.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1966) (voucher ID: PTBG 23177) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis suaveolens
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	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank (2008) (p. 29) Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H120625 (BISH, PTBG)
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 Bismarck Archipelago	Bismarck Archipelago	invasive	Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty] (1984) (pp. 486-488) Widespread; in places a troublesome weed, in others not present.
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) Widely spread at low altitudes.
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (pp. 189-190)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced invasive	Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 417) Very abundant in open waste places at low and medium altitudes.
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)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (pp. 189-190)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Nicaragua (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (pp. 189-190)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Panama (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (pp. 189-190)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced invasive	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Weeds in open waste areas. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi.
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 235) Near villages, in wasteland.
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)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 50) Naturalised
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (pp. 189-190)
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	introduced invasive	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Weeds in open waste areas.
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).