Cuphea

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids II
Ordo: Myrtales

Familia: Lythraceae
Genus: Cuphea
Species (279 accepted):
C. acicularis – C. acinifolia – C. acinos – C. adenophylla – C. aequipetala – C. affinitatum – C. alaniana – C. alatosperma – C. anagalloidea – C. anamariae – C. andersonii – C. angustifolia – C. anisoclada – C. annulata – C. antisyphilitica – C. aperta – C. appendiculata – C. apurensis – C. aquilana – C. arenarioides – C. aristata – C. armata – C. aspera – C. avigera – C. bahiensis – C. baillonis – C. beckiana – C. beneradicata – C. blackii – C. bolivarensis – C. bombonasae – C. bonplandii – C. brachiata – C. brachyantha – C. brachypoda – C. bracteolosa – C. buravii – C. burchellii – C. bustamanta – C. caeciliae – C. caesariata – C. calaminthifolia – C. calcarata – C. callosa – C. calophylla – C. campestris – C. campylocentra – C. carajasensis – C. cardonae – C. carthagenensis – C. carunculata – C. cataractarum – C. chiribiquetea – C. ciliata – C. cipoensis – C. circaeoides – C. concinna – C. confertiflora – C. congesta – C. cordata – C. crassiflora – C. crudyana – C. crulsiana – C. cuiabensis – C. cunninghamiifolia – C. curiosa – C. cyanea – C. cylindracea – C. dactylophora – C. decandra – C. decipiens – C. delicatula – C. densiflora – C. denticulata – C. dibrachiata – C. diosmifolia – C. dipetala – C. disperma – C. distichophylla – C. dusenii – C. egleri – C. ekmanii – C. elliptica – C. empetrifolia – C. enneanthera – C. ennearthera – C. epilobiifolia – C. ericoides – C. excoriata – C. exilis – C. ferrisiae – C. ferruginea – C. filiformis – C. flava – C. flavisetula – C. flavovirens – C. fluviatilis – C. froesii – C. fruticosa – C. fuchsiifolia – C. fuscinervis – C. galeatocalcarata – C. gardneri – C. gaumeri – C. glareosa – C. glauca – C. glaziovii – C. glossostoma – C. glutinosa – C. goldmanii – C. gracilis – C. grandiflora – C. guameri – C. hatschbachii – C. heteropetala – C. heterophylla – C. heydei – C. hirsutissima – C. hispidiflora – C. hookeriana – C. humifusa – C. hybogyna – C. hyssopifolia – C. hyssopoides – C. ignea – C. iguazuensis – C. impatientifolia – C. inaequalifolia – C. inflata – C. ingrata – C. insolita – C. intermedia – C. jorullensis – C. karwinskii – C. killipii – C. koehneana – C. kubeorum – C. laeviuscula – C. laminuligera – C. lanceolata – C. laricoides – C. lehmannii – C. leptopoda – C. leptosepala – C. linarioides – C. lindmaniana – C. linifolia – C. llavea – C. lobelioides – C. lobophora – C. loefgrenii – C. lophostoma – C. lucens – C. lutea – C. luteola – C. lutescens – C. lysimachioides – C. maigualidensis – C. mapiriensis – C. megalophylla – C. melampyrifolia – C. melanium – C. melvilla – C. mexiae – C. michoacana – C. micrantha – C. micropetala – C. mimuloides – C. multiflora – C. myrtifolia – C. niederleinii – C. nitidula – C. nivea – C. nudicostata – C. odonellii – C. oreophila – C. ornithoides – C. ownbeyi – C. painteri – C. palustris – C. paradoxa – C. paranensis – C. parsonsia – C. pascuorum – C. patula – C. paucipetala – C. pergracilis – C. persistens – C. pertenuis – C. philombria – C. pinetorum – C. pleiantha – C. pohlii – C. polymorpha – C. polymorphoides – C. potamophila – C. procumbens – C. prunellifolia – C. pseudericoides – C. pseudosilene – C. pseudovaccinium – C. pterosperma – C. pulchra – C. punctulata – C. purpurascens – C. pustulata – C. quaternata – C. racemosa – C. radiaticaulis – C. ramosissima – C. rasilis – C. reflexifolia – C. reitzii – C. remotifolia – C. repens – C. reticulata – C. retrorsicapilla – C. retroscabra – C. rhodocalyx – C. rigidula – C. rionegrensis – C. riparia – C. rivularis – C. roseana – C. rotundifolia – C. rubescens – C. rubrovirens – C. rupestris – C. rusbyi – C. sabulosa – C. salicifolia – C. salvadorensis – C. santos-limae – C. scaberrima – C. schumannii – C. schwackei – C. sclerophylla – C. scolnikiae – C. seleri – C. sessiliflora – C. sessilifolia – C. setosa – C. sincorana – C. sordida – C. spectabilis – C. sperguloides – C. spermacoce – C. splendida – C. spraguei – C. spruceana – C. stenopetala – C. strigulosa – C. stygialis – C. subuligera – C. sucumbiensis – C. sunubana – C. swartziana – C. tarapotensis – C. teleandra – C. tenuissima – C. tetrapetala – C. thymoides – C. tolucana – C. trichochila – C. trisperma – C. trochilus – C. tuberosa – C. urbaniana – C. urens – C. utriculosa – C. vargasii – C. varia – C. vesiculigera – C. vesiculosa – C. viscosa – C. viscosissima – C. warmingii – C. watsoniana – C. watsonii – C. weddelliana – C. wrightii – C. xanthopetala
Name

Cuphea P.Browne Civ. Nat. Hist. Jamaica 216–217. (1756)

Type species: Cuphea decandra Aiton Hort. Kew. (ed. 2) 3: 151. (1811)

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Balsamona Vand.
Banksia Dombey ex DC.
Bergenia Neck. ex Raf.
Dipetalon Raf.
Duvernaya Desp. ex DC.
Endecaria Raf.
Maja hypericoides Klotzsch
Melanium P. Browne
Melfona Raf.
Melvilla A. Anderson ex Raf.
Parsonsia P. Browne
Quirina Raf.

References
Primary references

Browne, P. 1756. The Civil and Natural History of Jamaica in Three Parts. London. BHL Reference page. : 216–217.
Barber, J.C., Ghebretinsae, A. & Graham, S.A. 2010. An expanded phylogeny of Cuphea (Lythraceae) and a North American monophyly. Plant Systematics and Evolution 289(1-2): 35–44. DOI: 10.1007/s00606-010-0329-7 ResearchGate Reference page.
Cavalcanti, T.B. & Graham, S.A. 2008. New species, varieties, and combinations in Cuphea (Lythraceae) from Brazil. Novon: A Journal for Botanical Nomenclature 18(3): 298–314. DOI: 10.3417/2006163 Paywall ResearchGate Reference page.
Graham, S.A. 2001. The problematic typification of Cuphea (Lythraceae), Taxon 50(2): 487–490. JSTOR

Links

International Plant Names Index. 2014. Cuphea. Published online. Accessed: July 29 2014.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2014. Cuphea in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2014 July 29. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2014. Cuphea. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 29 July 2014.

Vernacular names
Deutsch: Köcherblümchen
English: Cigar Plants
suomi: Tulitorvet

Cuphea /ˈkjuːfiːə/[2] is a genus containing about 260 species of annual and perennial flowering plants native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Americas. The species range from low-growing herbaceous plants to semi-woody shrubs up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) tall. Commonly they are known as cupheas, or, in the case of some species, as cigar plants. The generic name is derived from the Greek word κυφος (kyphos), meaning "bent," "curved," or "humped."[3]
Uses
False Heather (C. hyssopifolia) fruit with seeds

Several Cuphea species are popular ornamental plants or honey plants. C. ignea 'David Verity' and C. micropetalia are popular plants to attract hummingbirds.

Some species of Cuphea are used to produce cuphea oil, of interest as sources of medium-chain triglycerides. For most purposes, cuphea oil is identical to coconut oil and palm oil; these are derived from strictly tropical plants however and – particularly in the latter case – the expanding production of which has caused a considerable amount of habitat destruction. Cuphea may thus produce a valuable source of income for farmers in temperate regions, and by supplementing coconut and palm oil to satisfy the growing demand (e.g. for biodiesel production) at the same time decreasing the need for wholesale logging in tropical countries. Early attempts at commercial production have focused on an interspecific hybrid population derived from C. lanceolata and Clammy Cuphea (C. viscosissima).

Cuphea has also been shown to improve agricultural crops in North America when used in crop rotation. Crop rotation is commonly practiced among farmers to improve soil quality, control host-specific pests, and decrease the use of fertilizers and pesticides. When cuphea was introduced into the crop rotation of corn and wheat, scientists from the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA found that the addition of cuphea had positive effects on the following harvest, including a higher yield of crop and crops that are higher in protein.[1] Such research reveals how cuphea can be used in agriculture to increase the profitability of crops like wheat and corn.

The seed oils of some species are very rich in one particular fatty acid. C. painteri oil, for example, is about three-quarters caprylic acid; C. carthagenensis oil consists of about 80% lauric acid. C. koehneana oil may be the richest natural source of a single fatty acid, with 95% of its content consisting of capric acid. Currently the plant is not commonly used for medicinal effects; however, chemical analysis of its fatty oils suggest the plant could possibly serve as an algicidal, fungicidal or antibiotic agent. There is also reason to believe the plant could be effective as an appetite stimulant.
Selected species
Cuphea cyanea flowers
Cuphea procumbens fruits
Cuphea hyssopifolia branch structure

Cuphea aspera Chapman
Cuphea carthagenensis (Jacq.) J.F.MacBr.
Cuphea cyanea DC.
Cuphea decandra W.T.Aiton
Cuphea elegans
Cuphea epilobiifolia
Cuphea hookeriana Walp.
Cuphea hyssopifolia Kunth – false heather, Mexican heather
Cuphea ignea A.DC.
Cuphea ingrata Cham. et Schltdl.
Cuphea jorullensis Kunth
Cuphea koehneana Rose
Cuphea laminuligera Koehne
Cuphea lanceolata W.T.Aiton
Cuphea linarioides Cham. et Schltdl.
Cuphea llavea Lex. – bat-faced cuphea [4]
Cuphea lutea Rose
Cuphea lutescens Hoehne
Cuphea melvilla Lindl.
Cuphea mesostemon Koehne
Cuphea micropetala Kunth
Cuphea nudicostata
Cuphea oreophila
Cuphea painteri Rose
Cuphea parsonsia (L.) R.Br. ex Steud. – island wax weed
Cuphea procumbens Ortega
Cuphea salvadorensis Standl.
Cuphea speciosa Mart.
Cuphea strigulosa
Cuphea viscosissima Jacq. – clammy cuphea, blue waxweed, tarweed
Cuphea wrightii A.Gray[5]

References

"Cuphea P. Browne". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 1994-09-07. Archived from the original on 2012-10-10. Retrieved 2010-07-09.
Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607
Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names. Vol. I: A-C. CRC Press. p. 664. ISBN 978-0-8493-2675-2.
Rainy Side Gardeners: Cuphea llavea 'Tiny Mice'
"Species Records of Cuphea". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on 2012-10-10. Retrieved 2010-07-09.