Cuphea 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 tall. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuphea)
The process by which organisms release chemical compounds known as allelochemicals which influence the physiology, growth, survival, colonization, and reproductive activities of other species usually located nearby. (https://lod.nal.usda.gov/nalt/6549)