Family:
Verbenaceae J.St.-Hil.

Lippia L.

This genus is accepted, and its native range is Tropical & S. Africa, Tropical & Subtropical America.

[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect shrubs, subshrubs or perennial herbs, mostly pyrophytes from large woody rootstocks, pubescent or hairy; dioecious in species 11
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3–4, rarely alternate, entire or variously crenate, toothed or lobed, often scabrid above and rugose
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers small, sessile in mostly pedunculate dense heads or spikes which sometimes elongate in fruit, 1–several heads per axil and sometimes forming terminal panicles but often in numerous lower axils; each flower supported by a bract; eventual bare rhachis with floral scars very closely placed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx campanulate or compressed and laterally 2-keeled or 2-winged, undulate, truncate, 2–4-fid or 4-toothed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white, greenish or creamy yellow, often darker at the throat, more rarely magenta; tube cylindric or funnel-shaped, straight or curved; limb ± 2-lipped, oblique, the anterior lip larger than the posterior
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4, didynamous, inserted in the corolla-tube, included or slightly exserted
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 2-locular, each locule with 1 ovule; style usually short with oblique or recurved stigma
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit dry, surrounded by the adpressed calyx, separating into 2 pyrenes at maturity; pericarp papery or hard
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds without endosperm.

[FSOM]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Shrubs, subshrubs or perennial herbs, sometimes dioecious
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3–4, entire, toothed or lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Flowers in dense heads or spikes, each flower subtended by a bract
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx undulate, truncate or 4-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Tube cylindric or funnel-shaped, straight or curved; limb ± 2-lipped
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4, included or slightly exserted
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 2-celled, each cell with 1 ovule; stigma oblique
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit dry, surrounded by the appressed calyx, separating into 2 nutlets at maturity.
Distribution
More than 170 species, the majority in South and Central America.

[FZ]

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

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences spicate; spikes densely flowered, usually short and head-like in flower, often somewhat elongate and cylindric in fruit, 1–several per axil and sometimes forming terminal corymbs or panicles Inflorescences spicate; spikes densely flowered, usually short and head-like in flower, often somewhat elongate and cylindric in fruit, 1–several per axil and sometimes forming terminal corymbs or panicles.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 2-locular, each locule l-ovulate; style usually short, with an oblique or recurved stigma
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds without endosperm. Seeds without endosperm.
Distribution
A genus of about 207 species of warmer regions, mainly of South and Central America but many also in Africa.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers small, sessile, solitary in the axils of bracts, usually 4-ranked. Flowers small, sessile, solitary in the axils of bracts, usually 4-ranked
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx campanulate or compressed and laterally 2-keeled or 2-winged, undulate, truncate, 2–4-fid or 4-dentate at the apex. Calyx campanulate or compressed and laterally 2-keeled or 2-winged, undulate, truncate, 2–4-fid or 4-dentate at the apex
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white, greenish or creamy-yellow, often darker at the throat, rarely magenta; corolla tube cylindric or funnel-shaped, straight or incurved; corolla limb weakly 2-lipped, oblique, with the anterior lip larger than the posterior one. Corolla white, greenish or creamy-yellow, often darker at the throat, rarely magenta; corolla tube cylindric or funnel-shaped, straight or incurved; corolla limb weakly 2-lipped, oblique, with the anterior lip larger than the posterior one
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4, didynamous, inserted in the corolla tube, included or slightly exserted; anthers ovate, with parallel thecae. Stamens 4, didynamous, inserted in the corolla tube, included or slightly exserted; anthers ovate, with parallel thecae
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 2-locular, each locule l-ovulate; style usually short, with an oblique or recurved stigma.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a dry schizocarp surrounded by the appressed calyx; mericarps 2, separating at maturity; pericarp papery or hard. Fruit a dry schizocarp surrounded by the appressed calyx; mericarps 2, separating at maturity; pericarp papery or hard
Morphology General Habit
Erect shrubs, undershrubs or perennial herbs, mostly pyrophytes from large woody rootstocks, often aromatic, pubescent, hairy or setose. Erect shrubs, undershrubs or perennial herbs, mostly pyrophytes from large woody rootstocks, often aromatic, pubescent, hairy or setose
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3 or 4, rarely alternate, entire, crenate, serrate, dentate or lobed. Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3 or 4, rarely alternate, entire, crenate, serrate, dentate or lobed

Native to:

Angola, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Bahamas, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Cayman Is., Central African Repu, Chad, Chile Central, Chile North, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Florida, Free State, French Guiana, Gabon, Galápagos, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Leeward Is., Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Mozambique, Namibia, New Mexico, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Southwest Caribbean, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Tanzania, Texas, Togo, Trinidad-Tobago, Turks-Caicos Is., Uganda, Uruguay, Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles, Windward Is., Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Introduced into:

Andaman Is., Assam, Bangladesh, Central American Pac, India, Portugal, Queensland

Lippia L. appears in other Kew resources:

First published in Sp. Pl.: 633 (1753)

Accepted by

  • Govaerts, R. (2003). World Checklist of Selected Plant Families Database in ACCESS: 1-216203. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • O'Leary, N., Denham, S.., Salimena, F. & Múlgura, M.E. (2012). Species delimination in Lippia section Goniostachyum (Verbenaceae) using the phylogenetic species concept Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 170: 197-219.

Literature

Flora of West Tropical Africa

  • —F.T.A. 5: 278, partly.

Flora Zambesiaca

  • Atkins in Kadereit (ed.), Fam. Gen. Vasc. Pl. (Kubitzki, ed. in chief) VII: 462 (2004).
  • Bol. Soc. Brot., sér. 2, 59 : 245–272 (1987).
  • F.T.E.A., Verbenaceae: 27–37 (1992).
  • Gen. Pl., ed. 5: 282 (1754).
  • Kadereit (ed.), Fam. Gen. Vasc. Pl. (Kubitzki, ed. in chief) VII : 462 (2004).
  • Moldenke in Phytologia 12, 13 (1965–1966) (numerous contributions).
  • Phytologia 12 , 13 (1965–1966) (numerous contributions).
  • R. Fernandes in Bol. Soc. Brot., sér. 2, 59: 245–272 (1987).
  • Sp. Pl.: 633 (1753)
  • Verdcourt in F.T.E.A., Verbenaceae: 27–37 (1992).

Flora of Somalia

  • Flora Somalia, (2000) Author: by M. Thulin [updated by M. Thulin 2008]

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • L., Gen. Pl., ed. 5: 282 (1754)
  • Moldenke in Phytologia 12, 13 (1965–1966) (numerous contributions)
  • R. Fernandes in Bol. Soc. Brot., sér. 2, 59: 245–272 (1987)
  • Sp. Pl.: 633 (1753)

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    Flora Zambesiaca
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    Flora of Somalia
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    Flora of Tropical East Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Neotropikey

    Milliken, W., Klitgard, B. and Baracat, A. (2009 onwards), Neotropikey - Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics.
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0