Leonotis leonurus (L.) R.Br.

Lion's ear (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Lamiales > Lamiaceae > Leonotis

Characteristics

Shrub 2-5 m tall, branching from a thick woody base; internodes 10-50 mm long, in the inflorescence region up to 85 mm long; cortex pale brown, densely pubescent with antrorse hairs, striate by elongated lenticels. Leaves petiolate; blade 50-100 x 10-20 mm, linear, acute at apex and base, serrate (15-30 teeth/leaf) in the distal half; upper surface green and rough, more densely pubescent beneath; petiole up to 10 mm long, densely pubescent with short hairs. Inflorescence of 3-11 compact, subspherical (flattened from below) verticils, 25-40 mm in diameter; verticil branches less than 4 mm long; bracts 40-80 x 4-9 mm; bracteoles 6-20 x 0.5-1 mm, apiculate; pedicels shorter than 4.5 mm. Calyx 12-16 mm long, 4 mm in diameter; calyx-teeth 10, 0.9-3 mm long, subequal, spreading. Corolla 40-49 mm long, covered with orange-coloured (rarely white) hairs, tube bent forward, 26-30 mm long, with 1 to 3 diffuse fringes of hairs on the inside; lobes of lower lip 4.2-7.2 mm long, the lateral ones distinctly retuse. Lateral stamens with orange hairs at base; fresh pollen pale yellow. Nutlets 4.8-6 x 1.6-1.9 mm, brown, distal surface conspicuously oblique, glandular and without distant delimitation against the two ventral sides.
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Perennial shrub, 2-5 m high, base woody; densely pubescent, hairs antrorse. Leaves petiolate, linear, 50-100 x 10-20 mm, base and apex acute, margins serrate in distal half; upper surface green and rough, lower surface more densely pubescent. Inflorescence simple; verticillasters 3-11, compact, subsperical, 25-40 mm in diam. Flowers covered by orange-coloured hairs. Calyx 12-15 mm long; teeth 10, 0.9-3.0 mm long, Sub-Equal, spreading. Corolla: tube bent forward, 26-30 mm long, fringed on inside; lobes of lower lip 4.2-7.2 mm long, lateral ones retuse. Flowering time all year.
Shrub, 2-5 m high. Stems erect, densely pubescent, striate by elongated lenticels. Leaves petiolate; blade linear, 50-100 x 10-20 mm, apex and base acute, margins serrate in upper part of blade, upper surface green and rough, lower surface more densely pubescent; petioles up to 10 mm long, densely hairy. Flowers: in terminal, axillary, subspherical inflorescences of 3-11 verticils; bracts 40-80 mm long; calyx 10-toothed, teeth subequal, < 15 mm long; corolla 40-49 mm long, lower lip reflexed on tube, lip with 3 separate lobes, densely pubescent, orange; Feb.-May.
A shrub. It grows 2-5 m tall. It forms branches from a thick woody base. They are densely hairy. The leaves are 5-10 cm long by 1-2 cm wide. They have teeth on the upper half. The leaves are green and rough on the upper surface and hairy underneath. The flowers are in groups or 3-11. The small nuts are 5-6 mm long by 1.6-1.9 mm wide.
Roughly hairy shrub to 500 cm. Leaves narrowly lanceolate, toothed. Flowers in axillary verticils, calyx subequally toothed, corolla with lower lobes reflexed, velvety orange, 40-49 mm long.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 1.0 - 1.5
Mature height (meter) 2.0 - 5.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Amongst rocks in grassland. Locally common at forest margins, on rocky hillsides and river banks and in tall grassland.
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formerly cultivated in Central Java as a hedge plant near Sĕla, on the saddle Merbabu-Merapi at c. 1200 m.
It is a subtropical plant.
Light 7-9
Soil humidity 1-12
Soil texture 7-8
Soil acidity 4-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 10-12

Usage

The nectar is sucked from the flowers.
Uses environmental use invertebrate food medicinal social use
Edible flowers leaves
Therapeutic use Exanthema (flower), Leprosy (flower), Analgesics (leaf), Bronchitis (leaf), Common cold (leaf), Exanthema (leaf), Expectorants (leaf), Flatulence (leaf), Leprosy (leaf), Snake bites (root), Bites and stings (stem), Eczema (stem), Exanthema (stem), Leprosy (stem), Pruritus (stem), Scorpion stings (stem), Snake bites (stem), Sprains and strains (stem), Wasp sting (stem), Wounds and injuries (stem), Bite(Snake) (unspecified), Cold (unspecified), Cough (unspecified), Purgative (unspecified), Skin (unspecified), Tapeworm (unspecified), Emmenagogue (unspecified), Vermifuge (unspecified), Chest pain (unspecified), Common cold (unspecified), Dyspepsia (unspecified), Female urogenital diseases (unspecified), Influenza, human (unspecified), Nervous system diseases (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Leonotis leonurus habit picture by Maarten Vanhove (cc-by-sa)
Leonotis leonurus habit picture by Daniel Barthelemy (cc-by-nc)

Leaf

Leonotis leonurus leaf picture by Maarten Vanhove (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Leonotis leonurus flower picture by lori law (cc-by-sa)
Leonotis leonurus flower picture by Maarten Vanhove (cc-by-sa)
Leonotis leonurus flower picture by Daniel Barthelemy (cc-by-nc)

Distribution

Leonotis leonurus world distribution map, present in Burkina Faso, United States of America, and South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:449133-1
WFO ID wfo-0000224580
COL ID 3T6MY
BDTFX ID 168425
INPN ID 721699
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Leonurus grandiflorus Phlomis leonurus Hemisodon leonurus Leonurus superbus Phlomis speciosa Leonotis leonurus var. albiflora Leonurus africanus Leonotis leonurus