Hyptis capitata
Hyptis capitata
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
A plant of the humid tropics, The plant has spread widely as a weed and is reported to be invasive in many areas. It seeds prolifically each year, which ensures its 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 the plant 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[1]. The seed can be spread in several ways: the flower heads, containing seed, are spread by water; the seeds are also dispersed by animals, humans, vehicles (including slashers and machinery), and when attached to fur, clothing and mud[1].
Propagation
Seed - Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Hyptis+capitata>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk — http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html ↩︎A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
- [2]Philippine Medicinal Plants — http://www.stuartxchange.org/CompleteList.html ↩︎A lovely site, giving brief details on the medicinal uses of several hundred (over 400 at the last count) plants in the Philippines, plus a picture of each plant.
- [3]Useful Plants of the Siona and Secoya Indians of Eastern Ecuador. — Vickers W.T.; Plowman T. · Field Museum of Natural History; USA. · 1984 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org · ISBN 0015 - 0746 ↩︎Very terse, but it gives the uses of a large number of species. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
- [4]Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants — http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/rfk/index.html ↩︎An online resource giving botanical information, and a little bit about plant usage, for over 2,700 species of plants found in the Australian rainforest.
- [5]Medicinal Plants of the Guianas — DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J. · Smithsonian Museum · http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html ↩︎A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
- [6]Plants of Guam — Moore P.H. & McMakin P. · University of Guam. · 1979 · http://university.uog.edu/cals/people/POG/scipn.htm ↩︎Brief details, usually with a photo, of plants native to the island of Guam, often together with some information on their uses. An online version is available.