Cuphea hyssopifolia
(false heather)

Pictures

Picture	Title	Caption	Copyright
Title Flowering habit Caption Cuphea hyssopifolia (false heather); flowering habit. Kula Ace Hardware and Nursery, Maui, Hawaii, USA.September 2007. Copyright ©Forest & Kim Starr-2007 - CC BY 4.0	Flowering habit	Cuphea hyssopifolia (false heather); flowering habit. Kula Ace Hardware and Nursery, Maui, Hawaii, USA.September 2007.	©Forest & Kim Starr-2007 - CC BY 4.0
Title Habit Caption Cuphea hyssopifolia (false heather); Flowering habit. Garden of Eden Keanae, Maui, Hawaii, USA. March 2011. Copyright ©Forest & Kim Starr-2011 - CC BY 4.0	Habit	Cuphea hyssopifolia (false heather); Flowering habit. Garden of Eden Keanae, Maui, Hawaii, USA. March 2011.	©Forest & Kim Starr-2011 - CC BY 4.0
Title Flowers and leaves Caption Cuphea hyssopifolia (false heather); flowers and leaves. Walmart Kahului, Maui, Hawaii, USA. January 2008. Copyright ©Forest & Kim Starr-2008 - CC BY 4.0	Flowers and leaves	Cuphea hyssopifolia (false heather); flowers and leaves. Walmart Kahului, Maui, Hawaii, USA. January 2008.	©Forest & Kim Starr-2008 - CC BY 4.0
Title Flowers Caption Cuphea hyssopifolia (false heather); flowers and leaves. Kula Ace Hardware and Nursery, Maui, Hawaii, USA. September 2007. Copyright ©Forest & Kim Starr-2007 - CC BY 4.0	Flowers	Cuphea hyssopifolia (false heather); flowers and leaves. Kula Ace Hardware and Nursery, Maui, Hawaii, USA. September 2007.	©Forest & Kim Starr-2007 - CC BY 4.0

Identity

Preferred Scientific Name

• Cuphea hyssopifolia Kunth

Preferred Common Name

• false heather

Other Scientific Names

• Cuphea rivularis Seem.
• Parsonia hyssopifolia (Kunth) Standl.

International Common Names

• English: elfin herb; elphin plant; Hawaiian heather; heather; Mexican heather; tarweed
• Spanish: cufia; romerito; yerba de la dicha; yerba de la suerte
• French: corail

Local Common Names

• Brazil: cuféia
• Cuba: cufia
• Germany: falsches Heidekraut
• Samoa: āoa
• Sweden: isopskufea

Summary of Invasiveness

Considered a transformative invasive plant in Cuba by Oviedo Prieto et al. (2012); however, no information could be found on this species’ environmental impacts. It is considered a potentially serious weed in Hawaii (HEAR, 2016). Naturalized in tropical regions around the world where it has been widely planted as an ornamental (HEAR, 2016).

Taxonomic Tree

• Domain: Eukaryota
•     Kingdom: Plantae
•         Phylum: Spermatophyta
•             Subphylum: Angiospermae
•                 Class: Dicotyledonae
•                     Order: Myrtales
•                         Family: Lythraceae
•                             Genus: Cuphea
•                                 Species: Cuphea hyssopifolia

Notes on Taxonomy and Nomenclature

Cuphea is in the Lythraceae family (USDA-ARS, 2016), and is a genus containing about 260 species of annual and perennial flowering plants native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Americas. The generic name is derived from the Greek word kyphos, meaning "bent," "curved," or "humped. The species epithet hyssopifolia means “hyssop-leaved.”

Description

Short, evergreen shrubs growing 20 – 70 cm tall. Leaves opposite, narrowly lanceolate, 10-35 × 1-8 mm. Solitary flowers grow from the leaf axils along the branches. Each flower has 6 pink, purple or white petals (3-3.5 mm long) emerging from a green floral tube (5-8 mm long). The calyx teeth are triangular and the calyx may be glabrous or with a few stiff hairs. Fruits are 3-lobed capsules containing 5-8 seeds, each about 1 mm in diameter (Flora Mesoamericana, 2016).

Distribution

Native from Mexico to Panama (Francis, 2004; Acevedo-Rodríguez and Strong, 2012), however some sources also indicate it is native to South America (Graham, 1991; Flora Mesoamericana, 2016; USDA-ARS, 2016). Jorge Hieronymus (1874) lists it as a component of the pampas ecosystem in Argentina, for instance. Naturalized plants occur in the Caribbean (Acevedo-Rodríguez and Strong, 2012), Hawaii (HEAR, 2016), India (India Biodiversity Portal, 2016), and New Zealand (USDA-ARS, 2016) among other countries.

Distribution Table

The distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available. When several references are cited, they may give conflicting information on the status. Further details may be available for individual references in the Distribution Table Details section which can be selected by going to Generate Report.

History of Introduction and Spread

Planted widely as an ornamental (Francis, 2004) and has escaped and naturalized in several places around the world (Francis, 2004; Acevedo-Rodríguez and Strong, 2012; HEAR, 2016). Seeds were available in seed catalogues as early as 1877 (Bliss, 1877). Plants were naturalized in Martinique and Guadeloupe as well as cultivated as early as 1897 (Duss, 1897).

Introductions

Risk of Introduction

Plants are distributed as ornamental plants locally and long-distance by sale of potted plants and seeds (Francis, 2004; Dave’s Garden, 2016).

Habitat

Occurs in the understorey of deciduous and semi-deciduous lowland and mid-elevation forests and in oak forests (Graham, 1991). Grows along the edges of creeks and rivers and in humid forests (Flora Mesoamericana, 2016), and in disturbed areas (Francis, 2004).

Habitat List

Biology and Ecology

Genetics

2n=16 (Flora Mesoamericana, 2016).

Reproductive Biology

Flowers are pollinated by bees and other insects (Murali et al., 2013; Kane and Kervin, 2013). Each fruit produces about six tiny (1 mm) seeds (Francis, 2004). Cuphea seeds generally have improved germination after a short period of heating following cold storage (McGinnis, 2006).

Physiology and Phenology

Plants flower and produce seeds constantly (Francis, 2004). They tend to be short lived with layering extending the lives of individual plants (Francis, 2004).

Environmental Requirements

Prefers to grow in moist environments with over 1400 mm rainfall/year (Francis, 2004). Does not tolerate frost or salt (Francis, 2004). Grows in USDA hardiness zones 9-11 (Scheper, 2003) or H1C (Royal Horticultural Society, 2016). Prefers full sun to part shade (Royal Horticultural Society, 2016).

Climate

Latitude/Altitude Ranges

Air Temperature

Rainfall

Natural enemies

Notes on Natural Enemies

Several natural enemies occur on C. hyssopifolia (Hodges et al., 2005), however none found were specific to this species.

Means of Movement and Dispersal

Plants are widely cultivated and sold as seeds or as rooted plants in pots (Francis, 2004; Dave’s Garden, 2016). Seeds are expelled from the fruits, while vegetative reproduction can occur by layering where branches touch the ground (Francis, 2004).

Social Impact

May cause contact dermatitis (University of California, 2016).

Risk and Impact Factors

• Has a broad native range
• Tolerant of shade
• Long lived
• Has high reproductive potential

• Causes allergic responses

• Highly likely to be transported internationally deliberately

Uses

Widely grown and sold as an ornamental plant (Francis, 2004; Dave’s Garden, 2016). It is used medicinally in Mexico (Morales-Serna et al. 2011) and in Bangladesh (Rahmatullah et al., 2010). The plant is considered attractive to honeybees and other pollinators (Delaplane et al., 2000; Dave’s Garden, 2016).

Similarities to Other Species/Conditions

Cuphea carthagenesis may occur in similar habitats as C. hyssopifolia but C. carthagenesis has stems densely covered in sticky hairs and has larger leaves (Technigro Australia, 2011).

Prevention and Control

Due to the variable regulations around (de)registration of pesticides, your national list of registered pesticides or relevant authority should be consulted to determine which products are legally allowed for use in your country when considering chemical control. Pesticides should always be used in a lawful manner, consistent with the product's label.

Gardeners describe seedlings as easy to uproot (Dave’s Garden, 2016).

Gaps in Knowledge/Research Needs

Little information was found on Cuphea hyssopifolia’s impact on habitats or species in areas where it has naturalized, or on control measures.

References

Acevedo-Rodríguez P, Strong MT, 2012. Catalogue of Seed Plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany, number 98, xxv + 1192 pages

Bliss BK, 1877. B.K. Bliss and Sons Illustrated Spring Catalogue. http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45239387#page/3/mode/1up

Chua RT, 2013. Taxonomy of vascular plants in botanical garden, Baguio City. http://www.academia.edu/3876692/Taxonomy_of_Vascular_Plants_in_Botanical_Garden_Baguio_City

Dave’s Garden, 2016. Cuphea hyssopifolia. http://davesgarden.com/sitewidesearch.php?q=cuphea+hyssopifolia

Delaplane KS, Mayer DR, Mayer DF, 2000. Crop Pollination by bees. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. 352 pp.

Duss RP, 1897. Flore phanérogamique des Antilles françaises. Annales d’ L’Institut Colonial des Marseilles, 30. http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/3398869#page/9/mode/1up

Flora Mesoamericana, 2016. Flora Mesoamericana. St. Louis, Missouri, USA: Missouri Botanical Garden. http://www.tropicos.org/Project/fm

Francis JK, 2004. Wildland shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic descriptions: volume 1. Gen. Tech. Rep. IITF-GTR-26, 1. San Juan, Puerto Rico: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, and Fort Collins, CO: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 830 pp. http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs_other/iitf_gtr026.pdf

GBIF, 2016. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. http://www.gbif.org/species

Graham SA, 1991. Lythraceae. Flora de Veracruz 66. http://www1.inecol.edu.mx/publicaciones/resumeness/FLOVER/66-Graham_I.pdf

HEAR, 2016. Alien species in Hawaii. Hawaii Ecosystems at Risk. Honolulu, USA: University of Hawaii. http://www.hear.org/AlienSpeciesInHawaii/index.html

Hodges G, Edwards GB, Dixon W, 2005. Chilli thrips Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). A new pest thrips for Florida. Pest Alert. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. FDACS-P-01660. http://www.freshfromflorida.com/content/download/68187/1612823/Pest_Alert_-_Scirtothrips_dorsalis,_Chilli_Thrips.pdf

India Biodiversity Portal, 2016. Online Portal of India Biodiversity. http://indiabiodiversity.org/species/list

Jorge Hieronymus D, 1874. Observaciones sobre la vegetación de la Provincia de Tucumán, Boletín de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Córdoba, 1874:183-234

Kane JH, Kervin L, 2013. Gardening for native bees in Utah and beyond. Utah State University Extension and Utah Plant Pest Diagnostic Laboratory. http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/documents/plants-pollinators09.pdf

McGinnis L, 2006. Warming up to Cuphea, seeds get special treatment after cold storage. Agricultural Research Magazine, July 2006. USDA ARS. https://agresearchmag.ars.usda.gov/2006/jul/seeds

Missouri Botanical Garden, 2015. Tropicos database. St. Louis, Missouri, USA: Missouri Botanical Garden. http://www.tropicos.org/

Morales-Serna JA, García-Ríos E, Madrigal D, Cárdenas J, Salmón M, 2011. Constituents of organic extracts of Cuphea hyssopifolia., Journal of the Mexican Chemical Society, 55(1):62-64

Murali S, Reddy GN, Tavaragondi Vinayaka, Chetan T, 2013. Study of insect pollinator's diversity in Cuphea hyssopifolia Kunth in GKVK, Bangalore., Environment and Ecology, 31(2A):724-726

Nerlekar AN, Kulkarni DK, 2015. The Vetal hills: an urban wildscape in peril, Taprobanica, 7(2):72-78

Oviedo Prieto R, Herrera Oliver P, Caluff MG, et al., 2012. National list of invasive and potentially invasive plants in the Republic of Cuba - 2011. (Lista nacional de especies de plantas invasoras y potencialmente invasoras en la República de Cuba - 2011). Bissea: Boletín sobre Conservación de Plantas del Jardín Botánico Nacional de Cuba, 6(Special Issue 1):22-96.

Quattrocchi U, 2000. CRC world dictionary of plant names: common names, scientific names, eponyms, synonyms, and etymology. Boca Raton, Florida, USA: CRC Press.

Rahmatullah M, Ferdausi D, Mollik A, Jahan R, Chowdhury MH, Haque WM, 2010. A survey of medicinal plants used by Kavirajes of Chalna area, Khulna district, Bangladesh., African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, 7(2):91-97

Royal Horticultural Society, 2016. Cuphea hyssopifolia. https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/details?plantid=598

Scheper J, 2003. Cuphea hyssopifolia. Floridata. http://floridata.com/Plants/Lythraceae/Cuphea%20hyssopifolia/932

SpeciesLink, 2016. INCT-Herbário Virtual da Flora e dos Fungos. http://www.splink.org.br/

Technigro Australia, 2011. WeedWatch Colombian Waxweed (Cuphea carthagenisis). http://www.technigro.com.au/fieldguides/Colombian%20waxweedWEB.pdf

University of California, 2016. Safe and Poisonous garden plants. http://ucanr.edu/sites/poisonous_safe_plants/Toxic_Plants_by_Scientific_Name_685/

USDA-ARS, 2016. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online Database. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, USA. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/tax_search.pl

Wagner WL, Herbst DR, Kahn N, Flynn T, 2012. Hawaiian Vascular Plant Updates: A Supplement to the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai`i and Hawai`i's Ferns and Fern Allies. Washington DC, USA: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. http://www.botany.si.edu/pacificislandbiodiversity/hawaiianflora/supplement.htm

Wagner WL, Herbst DR, Sohmer SH, 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawai`i, revised edition. Honolulu, Hawaii, USA: University of Hawaii Press/Bishop Museum Press, 1919 pp. in 2 volumes. (Bishop Museum Special Publication 97)

Webster L, 1992. Origin and distribution of adventive alien flowering plants in Hawai`i, In: Stone CP, Smith CW, Tunison JT, eds. Alien plant invasions in native ecosystems of Hawai`i: management and research, pp. 99-154, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA: UH Coop. National Park. Resource Study Unit, UH Press

Whitefoord C, 1989. Recent plant collections from Dominica, Journal of the Arnold Arboretum, 70:143-152

Links to Websites

Contributors

07/11/2016 Original text by:

Sylvan Kaufman, Sylvan Green Earth Consulting, Santa Fe, USA

Distribution Maps