Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)
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Orthosiphon aristatus
(Blume) Miq., Lamiaceae
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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Orthosiphon stamineus Benth.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: cat's whiskers

Fijian: kumi ni pusi

French: thé de Java

Palauan: emadecharebub

Samoan: ‘ava pusi

Tongan: kava ‘i pusi

Habit:  herb

Description: 

Note:  Apparently Orthosiphon is being promoted as an herbal remedy for weight loss.  This species is known to be a diuretic and can thus result in temporary weight loss through the loss of water.  I have been unable to locate reliable information regarding any effect on fat. Be aware that herbal remedies can be promoted with virtually no scientific evidence as to their efficacy or side effects. It's strictly buyer beware!


"[S]lender perennial herb to 2 m high, the branchlets 4-angled, sparsely puberulent to glabrescent, sometimes purplish; leaves petiolate, the petioles 1-2 (-4.5) cm long, puberulent, the blades lanceolate to ovate or rhombic, 2-9 x 1-5 cm, chartaceous to membranaceous, cuneate at base, acute to acuminate at apex, coarsely serrate at margin (especially above middle of blade), glabrous to puberulent on both surfaces; racemes 10-15 (-20) cm long, the verticils lax, distant, the bracts sessile, ovate, 1-2 mm long, ciliolate, the pedicels to 4 mm long; calyx curved-campanulate, the tube to 3 mm long at anthesis, 10-nerved, scabridulous on nerves, the upper lip ovate, to 3 x 2.5 mm, the lower lip longer, the median lobes acuminate-aristate; corolla white or pale blue, 10-16 (-20) mm long, the tube 10-15 mm long, straight, strigose-tomentose without, the upper lip shallowly 4-lobed, recurved, the lower lip as long as upper lip, concave; stamens glabrous, coiled in bud, the anthers purple; style 5-6 cm long, glabrous, clavate and briefly 2-lobee at apex, white, purplish distally; nutlets ovoid-oblong, to 2 mm long, glabrous, rugose" (Smith, 1991; pp. 227-228).

Habitat/ecology:  Naturalizes along roadsides, in stream bottoms and wet places.  Often a cultivated plant.  In Fiji, "cultivated in villages and gardens at elevations up to about 200 m, and sometimes naturalized along roadsides" (Smith, 1991; pp. 227-228).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  India through southeastern Asia and the Nicobars and throughout Malesia to Australia (Smith, 1991; pp. 227-228).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group 		Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction? 		Reference &
Comments
Cook Islands
Southern Cook Islands 		Aitutaki Atoll cultivated
McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands
Southern Cook Islands 		‘Atiu Island cultivated
McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands
Southern Cook Islands 		Mangaia Island cultivated
McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands
Southern Cook Islands 		Rarotonga Island cultivated
McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands
Southern Cook Islands 		Rarotonga Island introduced
cultivated
Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. Field notes.)
Federated States of Micronesia
Chuuk Islands 		Fefan Island introduced
Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Denslow, Julie S./Nelson, Duane/Mazawa, Thomas R. (2000) (p. 28)
Federated States of Micronesia
Kosrae Island 		Kosrae Island introduced
Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Denslow, Julie S./Nelson, Duane/Waguk, Erick E. (2000) (p. 28)
Federated States of Micronesia
Kosrae Island 		Kosrae Island introduced
invasive
Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim (2005) (p. 16)
Voucher cited: Lorence 7887 (PTBG)
Federated States of Micronesia
Kosrae Island 		Kosrae Island introduced
invasive
Josekutty, P. C./Wakuk, E. E./Joseph, M. J. (2002) (p. 63)
Federated States of Micronesia
Pohnpei Islands 		Pohnpei Island introduced
Glassman, S. F. (1952) (p. 105)
Voucher cited: Glassman 2903 (US), Takamatsu 791 (BM)
Fiji
Fiji Islands 		Vanua Levu Island introduced
invasive
cultivated
Smith, Albert C. (1991) (pp. 227-228)
Voucher cited: DA 16956
Fiji
Fiji Islands 		Viti Levu Island introduced
invasive
cultivated
Smith, Albert C. (1991) (pp. 227-228)
Vouchers cited: DA 12126, Smith 7233, DA 16469
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands 		Hawai‘i (Big) Island   Flynn, Tim (year unknown)
New Caledonia
New Caledonia Archipelago 		Île Grande Terre introduced
cultivated
MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 69)
Voucher cited: MacKee 36622
Niue
Niue 		Niue Island introduced
Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 104)
Uncommon. Voucher cited: CHR 169934
Niue
Niue 		Niue Island introduced
Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 20)
Niue
Niue 		Niue Island introduced
cultivated
Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara M./Newfield, Melanie/Bull, Cate (2004) (p. 44)
Palau
Palau (main island group) 		Babeldaob Island introduced
cultivated
Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 102)
Palau
Palau (main island group) 		Koror Island introduced
cultivated
Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 98)
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island) 		Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Philippines
Philippine Islands 		Philippine Islands native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Samoa
Western Samoa Islands 		Savai‘i Island introduced
invasive
Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. Field notes.)
Samoa
Western Samoa Islands 		Upolu Island introduced
invasive
Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. Field notes.)
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands 		Solomon Islands introduced
cultivated
Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 95)
Tonga
Tongatapu Group 		Tongatapu Island   Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 20)
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) 		Queensland native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Cambodia
Cambodia 		Cambodia (Kingdom of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
China
China 		China (People's Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Indonesia
Indonesia 		Indonesia (Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Malaysia
Malaysia 		Malaysia (country of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Taiwan
Taiwan 		Taiwan Island native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Thailand
Thailand 		Thailand (Kingdom of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Vietnam
Vietnam 		Vietnam (Socialist Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)

Comments:  Somewhat invasive along wet streambanks on Kosrae.

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

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

References:

Flynn, Tim. 0. Tim Flynn, pers. com.

Fosberg, F. R./Otobed, D./Sachet, M.-H./Oliver, R. L./Powell, D. A./Canfield, J. E. 1980. Vascular plants of Palau with vernacular names. Department of Botany, The Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 43 pp.

Glassman, S. F. 1952. The flora of Ponape. Bishop Mus. Bull. 209: 1-152.

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

Josekutty, P. C./Wakuk, E. E./Joseph, M. J. 2002. Invasive/weedy angiosperms in Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia. In: Invasive species and their management. Micronesica Suppl. 6:61-65.

Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim. 2005. Checklist of the plants of Kosrae. Unpublished checklist. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Hawai‘i. 23 pp.

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

McCormack, Gerald. 2007. Cook Islands biodiversity and natural heritage. On-line database.

Smith, Albert C. 1991. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 5. 626 pp.

Space, James C./Flynn, Tim. 2002. Report to the Government of the Cook Islands on invasive plant species of environmental concern. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 146 pp.

Space, James C./Flynn, Tim. 2002. Report to the Government of Samoa on invasive plant species of environmental concern. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 83 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.

Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Denslow, Julie S./Nelson, Duane/Mazawa, Thomas R. 2000. Invasive plant species in Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia.  USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 41 pp.

Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Denslow, Julie S./Nelson, Duane/Waguk, Erick E. 2000. Invasive plant species on Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia.  USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 43 pp.

Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar. 2003. Report to the Republic of Palau on invasive plant species of environmental concern. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 174 pp.

Sykes, W. R. 1970. Contributions to the flora of Niue. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 200, Wellington. 321 pp.

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

Whistler, W. A. 1988. Checklist of the weed flora of western Polynesia. Technical Paper No. 194, South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 69 pp.

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 20 OCT 2006.