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Magnoliopsida
Stachytarpheta mutabilis (Jacq.) Vahl
EOL Text
Stachytarpheta mutabilis is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family known by the common names changeable velvetberry,[1] coral porterweed, pink snakeweed, red snakeweed,[2] and pink rat tail.[3] It is native to Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America.[2] It can be found in many other places as an introduced species. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant.[3]
This species is a perennial herb or subshrub generally growing 10 to 20 centimeters tall, sometimes reaching half a meter. The hairy stems have oppositely arranged leaves. The leaf blades are leathery in texture and oblong or lance-shaped. They measure up to 12 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a narrow spike up to 60 centimeters long. The flowers come in many shades of red and pink.[3]
This species sometimes escapes cultivation and becomes established in the wild. It can be weedy, growing in disturbed habitat such as pastures and roadsides.[3]
This plant is an introduced invasive species in Fiji, Hawaii, Queensland, and Singapore.[3]
The flowers are attractive to a variety of insects. The butterflies Ornithoptera priamus poseidon and Papilio ulysses have been observed foraging on the plant, as has the bee Amegilla sapiens.[4] Parts of the plant contain the iridoid glycoside ipolamiide, which inhibits insect predation on the plant.[5]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stachytarpheta mutabilis. |
References[edit]
- ^ Stachytarpheta mutabilis. USDA Plants Profile.
- ^ a b Stachytarpheta mutabilis. Germplasm Resources Information Network.
- ^ a b c d e Stachytarpheta mutabilis. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk.
- ^ Stone, G. N., et al. (1988). Thermal effects on activity patterns and behavioural switching in a concourse of foragers on Stachytarpheta mutabilis (Verbenaceae) in Papua New Guinea. Oecologia 77(1) 56-63.
- ^ Bernays, E. and C. De Luca. (1981). Insect antifeedant properties of an iridoid glycoside: ipolamiide. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 37(12) 1289-90.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Wikipedia |
Source | http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stachytarpheta_mutabilis&oldid=582074499 |
"Notes: Cultivated/Escape, Native of Tropical America"
United States
Origin: Exotic
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Unknown/Undetermined
Confidence: Confident
"Karnataka: Hassan, Mysore, Shimoga Kerala: Kannur, Kasaragod, Kollam, Kozhikode, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram Tamil Nadu: Salem, Theni"
Habit: Shrub
Isotype for Stachytarpheta mutabilis var. violacea Moldenke
Catalog Number: US 1644629
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany
Preparation: Pressed specimen
Collector(s): A. F. Skutch
Year Collected: 1939
Locality: Vicinity of El General., San José, Costa Rica, Central America
Elevation (m): 1035 to 1035
- Isotype: Moldenke, H. N. 1940. Phytologia. 1: 436.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | This image was obtained from the Smithsonian Institution. Unless otherwise noted, this image or its contents may be protected by international copyright laws. |
Source | http://collections.mnh.si.edu/search/botany/?irn=2146364 |
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable
Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked