Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Home Research Hub dataZone Galapagos Species Database

Teucrium vesicarium Mill.

laurel, mozote, verbena, germander

Perennial herb, 2-12 dm tall, with slender petioles and brownish stems. The leaves are dark green on the surface and paler on the lower surface with soft, curled hairs. The seeds are reddish brown and the flowers are pale lilac to nearly white (Wiggins and Porter, 1971).

Found in moist woods and shaded hillsides, around margins of ponds, and in swampy areas. Fruiting plants specifically resemble Priva lappulacea, their fruits being about the same size and shape (Wiggins and Porter, 1971).

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Plantae

Phylum
Magnoliophyta

Class
Magnoliopsida (= Dicotyledoneae)

Order
Lamiales

Family
Lamiaceae

Genus
Teucrium

Species
vesicarium

Taxon category: Accepted

Syn.: Teucrium inflatum Sw. fide Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew & Missouri Botanical Garden (2010). In Itow (1997) as Teucrium versicarium.

Origin: Native

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: The native range of this species is Mexico to Tropical America (POWO, 2023).

References

  • Wiggins, I.L. Porter, D.M. (1971) Flora of the Galapagos Islands Standford University Press, Stanford.
  • Adsersen, H. (s.a.) Personal observations Charles Darwin Research Station, unpublished Manuscript.
  • Van der Werff, H.H. (s.a.) Pers. obs. and colls. Personal observations and collections.
  • Jørgensen, P.M. León-Yánez, S. (eds.) (1999) Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Ecuador. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 75. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, 1181 pp.
  • Hooker, J.D. (1847) An Enumeration of the Plants of the Galapagos Archipelago; with descriptions of those which are new. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 20: 163-233.
  • Tropicos.org. (2017) Database of Missouri Botanical Garden. Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden. 06 Oct 2017 <http://www.tropicos.org
  • McClintock, E. Epling, C. (1946) A revision of Teucrium in the New World, with observations on its variation, geographical distribution and history. Brittonia 5(5): 491–510.
  • Standley, P.C. Steyermark, J.A. (1946) Burseraceae. In Standley, P.C. & Steyermark, J.A. (eds.) Flora of Guatemala - Part V. Fieldiana, Bot. 24(5): 434–444
  • Stevens, W.D. Ulloa, C., Pool, A., & Montiel, O.M. (2001) Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85: i–xlii, 1–2666.
  • Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Missouri Botanical Garden (eds.) (2013) The Plant List, Version 1.1. Published on the Internet; http://www.theplantlist.org/ (accessed 1st January).
  • Andersson, N.J. (1855) Om Galápagos Öarnes Vegetation. Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps Akademien Handl., Stockholm: 61-256.
  • Robinson, B.L. (1902) Flora of the Galapagos Islands. Papers from the Hopkins-Stanford Expedition to the Galapgaos Islands. Proc. Amer. Acad. 38(4): 78-270.
  • Stewart, A. (1911) A botanical survey of the Galápagos Islands. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 4th Series, 1: 7-288.
  • Itow, S. (1997) List of Plant Specimens collected in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Bulletin of the Faculty of Liberal Arts, Nagasaki University, Natural Science, 38 (1): 53-144.
  • Cayot, L. J. (1987) Ecology of Giant Tortoise (Geochelone elephantopus)in the Galápagos Islands. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Biology in the Graduate School of Syracuse University.
  • Harley, R.M. Pastore, J.F.B. (2012) A generic revision and new combinations in the Hyptidinae (Lamiaceae), based on molecular and morphological evidence. Phytolaca 58: 1-55.
  • Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (2022) Plants of the world online POWO (2022): Plants of the world online. Published on the Internet; Https://powo.science.kew.org/

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Teucrium vesicarium", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=482. Accessed 2 August 2025.