atoll research bulletin no. 392 the flora of - Smithsonian Institution ...

upper lip to 4.5 by
fruit, about 0.5 by
Indian residence at
6(211), 7.
Coleus pumilus Blanco
syn. C. repens Gurke
3 mm, erect, puberulent, the lower lip to 5 to 6 by 4 mm, concave;
0.7 mm, a nutlet, smooth, pale brown. Pot plant at Location and at
Meneng Terrace. Leaves used as a spice in curries and medicinally.
"creeping coleus"
Recent introduction. W. Africa. Occasional. Pot plant. 2(59673, 5878 I), 5, 6.
Mentha piperita L. "mint", "peppermint"
syn. M. x piperita L. (M. aquatica L. X M. spicata L.)
Recent introduction. Europe. Rare. S trongly-scented erect to sprawling rhizoma-
tous perennial herb, the stems 4-angled, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, often purplish;
leaves, 1 to 6 cm long and 1 to 3.5 cm wide, opposite, lanceolate-elliptic to oblong-
ovate, ovate or suborbicular, somewhat rugose, sharply acute to apiculate, cuneate to
rounded or cordate at base, serrate at margin, pubescent to glabrous; petioles, 3 to 6 mm
long; inflorescence, a terminal spikelet at stem tips with flowers arranged in whorls
(verticils) which are congested terminally and more distantly-spaced basally, mostly
glabrous except on calyces; calyx, 3 to 4 mm long, tubular, purplish and dotted with oil
glands, the teeth subequal, ciliate, narrowly acuminate, much shorter than calyx tube at
anthesis; corolla, 4 to 6 mm long, pale violet, glabrous or puberulent, the tube exserted;
stamens 4, small, included; fruit, about 0.75 mm long, a brown nutlet. Pot herb planted
in old oil drum on Command Ridge and at Indian residence at Meneng Terrace. 6, 7.
Ocirnum basilicum L.
dementsi (N); te marou (K); mili (T)
l1 basil", "sweet basil"
Pre-World War I1 introduction. Africa to Pacific Is. (Paleotropics). Occasional.
Freely-branching aromatic perennial herb or subshrub, often cultivated as an annual, up
80 cm or higher, the stems 4-angled, the branchlets glabrous to hispid; leaves, 2 to 8 cm
long and 1 to 3 cm wide, opposite, elliptic-lanceolate to ovate and oblong, acute, base
cuneate to attenuate, entire or obscurely dentate, glabrous to scattered-pubescent;
petioles, up to 2 cm long, slender; inflorescences, terminal racemes, 10 to 15 cm or
longer, at stem tips bearing many short-pedicellate, 6-flowered whorls (verticils) at
intervals; bracts, petiolate, green to rich purple, the bracteoles, 2 to 6 mm long; calyx, 2
to 3 mm long at anthesis, enlar~in~ to 5 to 9 mm long in fruit, bilabiate,_lO-nerved, with
long hairs inside, greenish, purplish-tinged; corolla, 7 to 9 mm long, tube 3.5 mm long,
upper lip 4-toothed, lower lip entire, white, glabrous to hispid; fruit, of 4 nutlets, 1.5 to
2.5 mm long, obovoid or ellipsoid, brown or blackish, pitted, swelling in water and
becoming slimy. Planted in home gardens; common in I Kiribati and Tuvaluan gardens at