Hyptis capitata Jacq., Lamiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Reject, score: 17 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

Chamorro: batunes, botones

English: false ironwort, knobweed

Japanese: iganigakusa

Palauan: erur

Pohnpeian: pawehs pwetepwet

Spanish: biojo, cartagena amarilla, chirrite, cordón de fraile

Tahitian: maa uupo

Yapese: pathpath, t‘aiegarabao

Habit:  herb

Description:  "An erect subshrub 1/2-2 m tall, with ovate-oblong, acute, serrate, petiolate leaves, commonly 5-15 cm long and 2-6 cm wide; petiole to about 2-3 cm; blades glabrate or puberulent and dorsally glandular; peduncles axillary, commonly 2-9 cm long; heads subglobose, 1.5-2.5 cm in diameter; flowers sessile, white, subtended by oblong-obovate bracts up to 8-12 mm long; calyx-lobes subulate, nearly equal, calyx-tube glabrous at extreme base, hirsute medially, pubescent distally, 3-4 mm long in flower, enlarging to nearly 1 cm in fruit; corolla 5-6 mm long, white with faint purplish spots on upper lip; filaments pubescent basally; nutlets brownish-black with a narrow white hilum, about 1 mm long" (Stone, 1970; p. 511).

Habitat/ecology:  Humid tropics. Common on savanna lands in Guam (Stone, 1970; p. 511). In Australia, "roadsides, disturbed or overgrazed areas, watercourses, pastures and open forests where soil is well drained" (Smith, 2002; p. 61).

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).

"It seeds prolifically each year which ensures survival.  The seeds, however, are light-sensitive and germination requires exposure to light.  On the other hand, exposure to far-red radiation, which is predominant where sunlight is filtered through a canopy of leaves, hinders germination.  Thus, since knobweed is often found along margins and tracks of rainforests, there will be a large quantity of ungerminated seeds present which provides a nucleus of infestation when these areas are cleared..."  (Parsons and Cuthbertson, 1992; pp. 488-490).

Native range:  Southern Mexico to Peru; exact native range obscure; widely naturalized in tropics (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 240)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Denslow, Julie S./Nelson, Duane (2000) (p. 6)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1982) (voucher ID: BISH 655722) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1966) (voucher ID: BISH 655723) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 240)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced	Glassman, S. F. (1952) (p. 104) Voucher cited: Glassman 2424 (US)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced invasive	Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (pp. 100-101) Vouchers cited: E. Albert 19 (NY, PTBG), E. Albert 91 (NY, PTBG), T.W. Flynn 6081 (NY, PTBG), F.R. Fosberg 58533 (BISH), S.F. Glassman 2415 (BISH), T. Hosokawa 6097 (BISH), D.H. Lorence 9492 (BISH, COM, NY, PTBG, US), S. perlman 21391 (PTBG), L. Raulerson LR19630 (PTBG), L. Stemmerman 2914 (BISH), M. Takamatsu 830 (BISH), C.Y.C. Wong 50 (BISH) Invasive
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1949) (voucher ID: BISH 150565) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1936) (voucher ID: BISH 150567) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1977) (voucher ID: BISH 433623) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1978) (voucher ID: BISH 438044) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1933) (voucher ID: BISH 447080) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1990) (voucher ID: PTBG 23350) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1996) (voucher ID: PTBG 24537) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2001) (voucher ID: PTBG 41824) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2006) (voucher ID: PTBG 44895) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2004) (voucher ID: PTBG 46336) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 240)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1936) (voucher ID: BISH 150566) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2004) (voucher ID: PTBG 42406) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2003) (voucher ID: PTBG 39563) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 128) Voucher cited: BRY 24825
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Vouchers cited: J. Florence 3845 (PAP), W.A. Whistler & M. Guérin 16 (PAP), J.-M. Veillon & M. Guérin 66 (PAP), F.R. Fosberg 65009 (PAP) Adventice
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1981) (voucher ID: BISH 491114) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1982) (voucher ID: BISH 493117) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1985) (voucher ID: BISH 607033) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced invasive	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 511) Voucher cited: Stone 3855 (GUAM)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 240)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1936) (voucher ID: BISH 78088) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1965) (voucher ID: BISH 81622) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1966) (voucher ID: BISH 81624) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1954) (voucher ID: BISH 150604) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1957) (voucher ID: BISH 150610) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1945) (voucher ID: BISH 150611) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (year unknown) (voucher ID: BISH 150625) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1964) (voucher ID: BISH 401456) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1981) (voucher ID: BISH 507569) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1954) (voucher ID: BISH 572825) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1983) (voucher ID: BISH 649439) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1983) (voucher ID: BISH 1000196) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R. (1995) (p. 21) Voucher cited: K. Nagata 3788 (BISH)
New Guinea (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea) New Guinea Island	New Guinea Island		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 189)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (pp. 16, 85)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 19)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1996) (voucher ID: BISH 651371) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (2005) (voucher ID: BNM 394) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2005) (voucher ID: PTBG 46278) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 240)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (pp. 16, 81)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 19)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1967) (voucher ID: BNM 402) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1967) (voucher ID: BNM 401) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Malakal (Ngemelachel) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 240)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Malakal (Ngemelachel) Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (pp. 16, 81)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Malakal (Ngemelachel) Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 19)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Malakal (Ngemelachel) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1967) (voucher ID: BISH 81623) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Ngerkebesang Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (pp. 16, 81)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Ngerkebesang Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1970) (voucher ID: BNM 400) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata Jacq.
Papua New Guinea Bismarck Archipelago	Bismarck Archipelago		Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty] (1984) (p. 488) Scattered; prefers wet soil.
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 66, 77)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced invasive	Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (pp. 416-417) A weed in the settled areas, occurring in open waste places, fallow rice paddies, etc.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Savai‘i Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 70)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 20) Voucher cited: Whistler 3933
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 67) Voucher: Flynn 6938 (PTBG, US, SAMOA), Flynn 6943 (PTBG, US)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 309) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 319) Taxon name on voucher: Hyptis capitata
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Gizo Island	introduced invasive	Orapa, Warea (2005)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Guadalcanal Island	introduced invasive	Orapa, Warea (2005)

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) One population at Kakadu.
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Smith, Nicholas M. (2002) (p. 61)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	El Salvador (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 66, 77)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 66, 77)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 66, 77)
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	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 66, 77)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	introduced invasive	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 66, 77)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	introduced invasive	Swarbrick, J. T. (1997) (p. 116)

Comments:  This species and other Hyptis species are common on Guam, but not present on many other islands in Micronesia or the Pacific. Since these Hyptis species are well-known weeds, they should be excluded where not already present.

Very prevalent in Samoa (Space & Flynn, 2002).

Control: 

Physical: "Single plants or small groups forming an incipient infestation should be grubbed before flowering and burnt, taking care to cut the root well below the crown to prevent re-establishment from the perennial rootstock"  (Parsons and Cuthbertson, 1992; pp. 488-490).