Stachytarpheta jamaicensis (L.) Vahl

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 100 - 605 m.; Islas Caribeñas, Pacífico.

Morphology General Habit

Hierba

Conservation

Preocupación Menor

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Vernacular

VERVINE

Morphology General Habit

Annual herb, the stems decumbent or ascending to 1 m tall, glabrous throughout or with a few scattered hairs; leaves oblong-elliptic to ovate, mostly 2–9 cm long, obtuse at the apex, abruptly long-cuneate at the base, the margins coarsely crenate-serrate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Spikes glabrous, stiff, 10–50 cm long, up to 5 mm thick or more; bracts lanceolate or narrowly ovate, 4–6 mm long; calyx 5–7 mm long; corolla blue-violet or violet, 8–10 mm long.

Distribution

Cayman Islands. Florida, the West Indies and continental tropical America.

Ecology

Introduced elsewhere, a weed of open waste places and dry sandy clearings and thickets.

Verbenaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1992

Morphology General Habit

Perennial well-branched herb 0.6–1.2 m. tall, woody at base; stems glabrous or very slightly pubescent, rarely more distinctly hairy on the young shoots, often purplish.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves ovate, elliptic or ± oblong, 1.5–11 cm. long, 0.8–5 cm. wide, ± obtuse in outline at apex, long-attenuate into ± 1 cm. long petiole at base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Spikes long and narrow, 14–45(–50) cm. long, glabrous; bracts lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 5–8 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, acuminate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx tubular, 5–6.5 mm. long, bifid at apex, 4-toothed, the 2 central teeth rather shorter.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla pale blue to deep or royal blue or purple, sometimes with a white centre; tube 0.8–1.1 cm. long, slightly curved; limb ± 8 mm. diameter, the lobes ± 3 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma

Stigrna included.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Mericarps dark, linear-oblong, 4(–?7) mm. long, 1 mm. wide, dorsally ribbed.

Habitat

Seasonally wet grassland, near villages and reported as a very common weed in Zanzibar, occurring in pure stands over large areas; ± 0–90 m.

Distribution

S. U.S.A to Ecuador and Brazil and W. Indies, introduced to and naturalized in Africa, Madagascar, Indian Ocean Is., tropical Asia, Australasia and Oceania P T6 Z

Sandy Atkins. (2005). The Genus Stachytarpheta (Verbenaceae) in Brazil. Kew Bulletin, 60(2), 161-272. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4110935

Type

Jamaica, (lectotype Herb. Linn. No. 7.13 (S), chosen by Fernandes (1984: 100)).

Morphology General Habit

Herb to 3 m, dichotomously branched

Morphology Stem

Stem woody, rounded to ± 4-sided, glabrous to sparsely hairy, often more hairy at nodes

Morphology Leaves

Leaves petiolate to sub- sessile, membranous-chartaceous, ovate, 3 - 10 x 1.8 - 5 cm; apex obtuse; base attenuate, decurrent into petiole; margin crenate; upper and lower surface almost glabrous, with scattered uniseriate hairs (some with ring of glands at base), and sessile glands

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence curving, up to 50 cm long by 3 - 4 mm wide; bracts woody, elliptic, with long tapering apex, 3 - 5 mm long, glabrous with scarious margin

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 4-toothed, with shallow sinus adaxially, c. 6 mm long, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla blue, hypocrateriform, tube c. 8 mm long, straight; lobes c. 1.5 mm across

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens attached above middle with short filaments

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary c. 1 mm long, style c. 6 mm long, slightly exserted

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit dark brown to black, reticulate.

Distribution

Tropical America (from Tropical Florida to northern South America including the Caribbean Islands) and widely naturalised throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world. In Brazil (probably naturalised) Bahia, Pernambuco, Roraima

Ecology

Open areas, grassland, roadside, sea strands and river banks.

Conservation

Least concern. A common and widespread species.

Note

This species is usually to be found in wetter tropical regions, and one would expect its main distribution in Brazil to be the Amazonian states. However, surprisingly few specimens have been seen from Brazil; it is more common further north in the Guianas and the Caribbean. It is less woody than the preceding species, with larger leaves and a broader rachis.

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

divina verbena, verbena negra

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Caribbean, Pacific. Elevation range: 100–605 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Chocó, San Andrés y Providencia.

Habit

Herb.

Conservation

National Red List of Colombia (2021): Potential LC.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, shrubland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.

Flora Zambesiaca. Vol 8, Pt 7. Avicenniaceae, R. Fernandes. Nesogenaceae, M.A. Diniz. Verbenaceae, R. Fernandes. Lamiaceae, R. Fernandes. 2005.

Type

Type a specimen in the Linnean herb. (S, lectotype, microfiche 7.13).

Morphology General

A perennial herb or subshrub, 0.3–1.2 m high, woody at the base, ± sparsely pubescent mainly on the young parts, glabrescent on older parts

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Mericarps c. 7 mm long. Mericarps c. 7 mm long.

Ecology

Seasonally wet floodplain grasslands; c. 10–40 m.

Distribution

Mozambique District code: MOZ Z. Native to, and widely distributed throughout, tropical America.  Introduced to and naturalized in Africa, Madagascar, Indian Ocean Islands, tropical Asia, Australasia and Oceania.

Morphology General Habit

A perennial herb or subshrub, 0.3–1.2 m high, woody at the base, ± sparsely pubescent mainly on the young parts, glabrescent on older parts.

Morphology Stem

Stem and branches pilose at the nodes, often purplish. Stem and branches pilose at the nodes, often purplish

Morphology Leaves

Leaves petiolate, lamina 2–9(11) × 1.2–5.5 cm, elliptic, oblong, obovate or spathulate, obtuse to rounded or somewhat acute at the apex, attenuate and decurrent into the petiole or ± rounded and abruptly narrowed and narrowly tapering-cuneate into the petiole, crenate-dentate on the margin with 7–15 teeth on each side, entire below, glabrous on both surfaces or with sparse hairs on the nerves beneath; petiole up to c. 1 cm long. Leaves petiolate, lamina 2–9(11) × 1.2–5.5 cm, elliptic, oblong, obovate or spathulate, obtuse to rounded or somewhat acute at the apex, attenuate and decurrent into the petiole or ± rounded and abruptly narrowed and narrowly tapering-cuneate into the petiole, crenate-dentate on the margin with 7–15 teeth on each side, entire below, glabrous on both surfaces or with sparse hairs on the nerves beneath; petiole up to c. 1 cm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Spikes slender, 14–45(50) cm long, up to 4 mm thick in fruit, glabrous; bracts 5–8 × 2–2.5 mm, ± as broad as the fruiting calyx, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, apically attenuate, not longer than the fruiting calyx, striate, scarious on the margins, glabrous, not thickened or a very little so at the base. Spikes slender, 14–45(50) cm long, up to 4 mm thick in fruit, glabrous; bracts 5–8 × 2–2.5 mm, ± as broad as the fruiting calyx, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, apically attenuate, not longer than the fruiting calyx, striate, scarious on the margins, glabrous, not thickened or a very little so at the base

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 5–6 × 2.5 mm, tubular, ellipsoid, bifid and without peltate glands at the apex, 4-toothed, the 2 central teeth rather shorter. Fruiting calyx ± completely embedded in the furrows of the rhachis Calyx 5–6 × 2.5 mm, tubular, ellipsoid, bifid and without peltate glands at the apex, 4-toothed, the 2 central teeth rather shorter

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla blue, violet or nearly white; tube 8–11 mm long, slightly curved, exserted up to c. 5 mm above the calyx; limb c. 9 mm in diameter, the lobes c. 3 mm long. Corolla blue, violet or nearly white; tube 8–11 mm long, slightly curved, exserted up to c. 5 mm above the calyx; limb c. 9 mm in diameter, the lobes c. 3 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style exserted 3–4 mm above the calyx after the fall of the corolla. Style exserted 3–4 mm above the calyx after the fall of the corolla

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Fruiting calyx

Fruiting calyx ± completely embedded in the furrows of the rhachis.