General Information

COMMON NAMES: Leucas TRADITIONAL NAMES: Pūeikao / Pūaikao (RR), Pua‘ikao (MG), Nūroa (AT MK MT), Pua‘ikao / Puaikao (AK) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE India - Malesia - ne.Aust. - Australs - Societies COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Land, lowlands - mountains (+) SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Medicine KEY FEATURES: Upright to sprawling herb to 1m. STEM square, hairy. LEAVES opposite, soft and furry, ovate, to 6x4cm, teeth rounded. FLOWERS 2-10 clustered in axils; calyx green, 8mm with 10 teeth; corolla white, protruding to 8mm, beak-like, lower at right angles. FRUIT a smooth oval nutlet, 0.5mmØ.

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present    Makatea: Present
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
+++	+++	++	++	+?	P	-	-	-

Northern Group: -
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	-	-	-

Leucas decemdentata (Willd.)
SYNONYMS: Leucas flaccida; Phlomis decemdentata; Stachys decemdentata

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ASTERIDAE; Lamiales; LAMIACEAE

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -. Comment: NBSAP - Takitumu (2 of 4 domestic plants), NBSAP - Puaikura (1 of 3 domestic plants), NBSAP - Mauke (3 of 8 wild plants), NBSAP - Mitiaro (3 of 6 domestic plants)
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Medicine

IDENTIFICATION: Upright to sprawling annual herb to 1m. STEM square, hairy. LEAVES opposite, soft and furry, ovate, to 6x4cm, teeth rounded; stalk to 2cm. FLOWERS 2-10 clustered in axils; calyx green, 8mm long with 10 teeth; corolla white, protruding to 8mm, beak-like, upper lip straight and furry, lower at right angles, 2-lobed. FRUIT a smooth nutlet, oval, 1.5x0.5mm.

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: fieldspecimen+photo, Arorangi, 4/2003, GMcC.

References:
p.5/236 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.94 Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.394b Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zupM03a, zD03a

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