Agastache rupestris (Greene) Standl.
Family: Lamiaceae
Description: This Agastache differs from others by the following
features: the calyx tube is more than 4 mm long, the teeth more that 1/4
the total length of the calyx; stems are suffrutescent with exfoliating
bark; mature leaves are lanceolate-linear, 6-15 times longer
than wide; the median lobe of the corolla is several-toothed
or laciniate.
Distribution: Southwestern New Mexico to central and south-central
Arizona.
Plants Seen or Cited: New Mexico; Catron Co.; Gila
Natl. For. near Wall Lake, 31 Aug 1980, Hutchins 9170
(UNM); Gila Natl. For., T14S R13W S31, just W of Hwy 25, Sapillo
Cr., 30 Jul 1981, Knight 1683 (UNM); Mogollon Mts., on
or near the West Fork of the Gila River, Gila Hot Springs, 27
Aug 1903, Metcalfe 878 (NMC); Mogollon Mts., near "Grand
Canyon" E. Fork of Gila River, 19 Aug 1900, Wooton s.n.
(NMC); Grant Co.; Sapillo Creek 1.2 mi W of Pinos Altos,
20 Sep 1970, Todsen 700920-10 (NMC); Sycamore, 30 mi W
of Silver City, 13 Aug 1902, Wooton s.n., (NMC); UNM also
has a specimen from the Baboquivari Mts of southern Arizona.;
UTEP has two specimens from southern Arizona.
Habitat: On vegetation-covered igneous boulders and sandy
soil at base of protected north slopes with Populus, Juglans,
Prunus, etc., in the upper oak-savannah, pinyon-juniper or
lower Pinus ponderosa zone, 1,500-2,200 m (Sanders 1987);
N-facing slope of andesite (Knight 1683); rock and gravel
loam of hillside, W slope, 6,300 ft. (Hutchins 9170).
Discussion: Sanders (1987, fig. 93) notes intergrades of
this species and A. wrightii (Greenm.) Woot. & Standl.
in south-central Arizona near the border and in northeastern Sonora.
He suspects that A. rupestris occurs in NE Sonora, but
he cites no specimens. A specimen at UTEP from southern Arizona
is also a suspected hybrid between the two taxa. Wooton and Standley
(1915) record the range as from mountains of southwestern New
Mexico. Martin and Hutchins (1981) indicate the species also
to be southwestern New Mexico; they also include Arizona. Kearney
and Peebles (1969) cite a similar range and provide a discussion
of putative hybrids in southern Arizona between A. rupestris
and A. wrightii, but note that typical A. rupestris
is not at that locality and suggest the possibility of the presence
of an undescribed species. Sanders (1987) amplifies the discussion
of these Arizona hybrids, but does not suggest the presence of
a new taxon. This is a regional endemic that occurs in the
mountains. No authors note rarity, and nothing is indicated on
collection labels regarding frequency at collection sites. The
species is peripheral in New Mexico.
Important Literature:
Kearney, T.H. and R.H. Peebles. 1969. Arizona Flora, 2nd
ed. (with supplement by J.T. Howell, Elizabeth McClintock, et
al.). Univ. California Press, Berkeley. 1085 pp.
Martin, W.C. and C.R. Hutchins. 1981. A Flora of New Mexico,
vol. 2. J. Cramer, Vaduz. Pp. 1277-2591.
Sanders, R.W. 1987. Taxonomy of Agastache section Brittonastrum
(Lamiaceae-Nepeteae). Systematic Botany Monographs 15:1-92.
Wooton, E.O. and P.C. Standley. 1915. Flora of New Mexico. Contr. U.S.
Natl. Herbarium 19: 1-794.
Information Compiled By: Richard Spellenberg, 1998
