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Leonotis nepetifolia

(L.) R.Br. (1811)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Asterids Order: Lamiales Family: Lamiaceae Genus: Leonotis

lion's ear

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Coarse annual herbs.

Stems: Stems 10–25 dm long, deeply furrowed and puberulent.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Blades oblong–ovate to ovate, 4.5–8.5(–12) cm long, 2–5(–9.5) cm wide, lower ones up to ca. 20 cm long and ca. 15 cm wide. Apex acute to acuminate. Base rounded to truncate. Surfaces puberulent; blades membranous. Margins coarsely crenate–serrate. Petioles 2–7.5 cm long, those of lower leaves up to ca. 10 cm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in dense globose verticillasters, 2–8 per stem, bracts linear-lanceolate, apex spinose. Calyx actinomorphic, usually bilabiate, narrowly funnelform, 1.2–1.5 cm long, enlarging to 1.5–2.3 cm long in fruit, slightly curved during anthesis, 8–9-toothed, the teeth unequal, spinose, puberulent toward base, becoming hirsute above, splitting longitudinally, usually persistent or sometimes only ventral 1/2 persistent. Corolla zygomorphic, bilabiate, tubular, orange, 2–2.8 cm long, upper lip arched, 1–1.2 cm long, densely pubescent with orange hairs externally; nectary disk symmetrical. Stamens 4; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, 2-carpellate; ovules 1 per ovary lobe, placentation basal-axile; style 1, subulate; stigmas 2.

Fruit: Nutlets 1-seeded; dull black; oblong–obovoid; 2.5–4 mm long. Seeds with endosperm absent or scanty and oily.

Ploidy: 2n = 24; 26; 28

Habitat: Introduced as an ornamental and for use in dry floral arrangements; now naturalized in low elevation; dry to occasionally wet; disturbed habitats.

Elevation Range: 15–300 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Kaho'olawe Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Water/Ocean

Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: W.T.Aiton, Hortus Kew. 3: 409 (1811)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:803 (K, O, M, H); Oppenheimer 2003:14 (Mo); Staples & Herbst 2005:356 (KEY), 365 (DESCR); Oppenheimer 2010:36 (L); Starr & Starr 2017:5 (Ka)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Leonotis nepetifolia Maunalei Gulch dry, disturbed Preserved_Specimen flower orange Oppenheimer, H.L. 50808 Lanai BISH 2008-05-29
2 Leonotis nepetifolia Gully below Pahala, Kau District Growing with Guinea grass and kiawe trees on side of gully in pastureland. Preserved_Specimen Herb 4' tall. Flowers orange. Cuddihy, L.W. 846 Hawaii BISH 1981-08-02
3 Leonotis nepetifolia Hanapepe Valley. Ko Road Common. To three ft. Corolla orange. Preserved_Specimen Flynn, T.W. 988 Kauai BISH 1985-01-28
4 Leonotis nepetifolia Wahiawa volcanic Preserved_Specimen Flowers scarlet to orange Beckham, N. 68 Oahu BISH 1967-04-20
5 Leonotis nepetifolia Former Naval Air Station Barbers Point, Northern Trap & Skeet Range Growing under Prosopis pallida with Cenchrus ciliaris dominant groundcover. With Ipomoea (779244). Along recent powerline clearing. Preserved_Specimen BISH staff 26 Oahu BISH 2021-04-30
6 Leonotis nepetifolia Diamond Head crater Dry & disturbed. Preserved_Specimen Lennstrom, H. 1994117 Oahu BISH 1994-06-26
7 Leonotis nepetifolia Kohala outside of plantation village, beside the road Preserved_Specimen clump Bond, K.D. Hawaii BISH 1962-01-15
8 Leonotis nepetifolia Haleiwa, Kawailoa Road SE of Camp roadside waste ground Preserved_Specimen Mäkinen, L. 66645 Oahu BISH 1966-04-23
9 Leonotis nepetifolia Kalaupapa; base of lighthouse stairs, rock wall Preserved_Specimen coarse erect annual herb Wysong, M.L. 616 Molokai BISH 2005-02-08
10 Leonotis nepetifolia Hakioawa, along base of rocky ledge near camp. Lots along edge of rocky ledge and guinea grass. Camp with Prosopis pallida and Megathyrsus maximus. Preserved_Specimen Naturalized. Lowland scrub Starr, F. 15121303 Kahoolawe BISH 2015-12-13
11 Leonotis nepetifolia Kahuku Plantation running wild in cane fields Preserved_Specimen Denison, F.C. Oahu BISH 1942-07-03
12 Leonotis nepetifolia Batis meadow W of Deep Draft Harbor, Ewa other introduced wayside plants Preserved_Specimen Funk, E.J. 405 Oahu BISH 1990-05-01
13 Leonotis nepetifolia Waipahu Preserved_Specimen Weed of 5 ft. Student at Kamehameha Oahu BISH 1985-04-11
14 Leonotis nepetifolia Ewa Beach Preserved_Specimen Bennett, T. 176 Oahu BISH 1982-02-24
15 Leonotis nepetifolia Honolulu Preserved_Specimen weed McGuire, T. Oahu BISH 1964-06-15
16 Leonotis nepetifolia Kahuku Plantation Preserved_Specimen Oahu BISH 1942-07-03
17 Leonotis nepetifolia Makakilo Gulch with Kiawe and mixed grasses Preserved_Specimen Leu, M. 59 Oahu BISH 1987-12-04
18 Leonotis nepetifolia Diamond Head Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Oahu BISH 1984-05-05
19 Leonotis nepetifolia Naalehu abandoned field Preserved_Specimen weed Degener, O. 30813 Hawaii BISH 1966-05-24
20 Leonotis nepetifolia Mt. Kaala, NE slope Medrosideros forest, open Preserved_Specimen Erect herb 3'. Flower orange-red. Fruit a nutlet Whittier, H.O. 1604 Oahu BISH 1963-10-20
21 Leonotis nepetifolia Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve, Makena-Keoneoio road Pockets of vegetation in a'a lava and at roadside. One plant on the edge of the road. Preserved_Specimen Abbott, I.A. 91.66 Maui BISH 1991-03-06
22 Leonotis nepetifolia Waialua roadsides and moist places Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 19220 Oahu BISH 1948-04-28
23 Leonotis nepetifolia Mahukona roadside, in arid, hot, Prosopis-grassland Preserved_Specimen ~3' and had orange flowers Herbst, D.R. 937 Hawaii BISH 1968-02-19
24 Leonotis nepetifolia Mahukona roadside, in arid, hot, Prosopis-grassland Preserved_Specimen ~3' and had orange flowers Herbst, D.R. 937 Hawaii BISH 1968-02-19
25 Leonotis nepetifolia Ewa Beach unused land between houses and sugar cane field in sunnier areas Preserved_Specimen Flowers orange Davis, J. 84 Oahu BISH 1979-02-23
26 Leonotis nepetifolia Kaunakakai Edge of rd in Prosopis thicket. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 70118 Molokai BISH 2001-07-14
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