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Plectranthus hereroensis [family LAMIACEAE]

Date Updated: 19 August 2007

Herbarium
South African National Biodiversity Institute, Compton Herbarium, Cape Town (SAM)
Collection
Flora of Southern Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of South Africa, (2003) Author: Dr J.P. Roux
Names
Plectranthus hereroensis [family LAMIACEAE]
Common names
P. matabelensis Bak. in F.T.A. 5; 417 (1900). Syntypes; Zimbabwe, Matabeleland, Shasha River, Holub 1403-1406 (K). Neomuellera damarensis S. Moore in J. Bot., London 39: 265 (1901). Type: S.W.A./Namibia, Damaraland, Een s.n. (BM, holo.). P. myrianthus Briq. in Bull. Herb. Boissier ser. 2, 3: 1001 (1903); Cooke in F.C. 5, 1: 271 (1910); Codd in Mitt. bot. StSamml., Munch. 10: 248 (1971). Coleus myrianthus (Briq.) Brenan in Mem. N.Y. bot. Gdn 9: 43 (1954). Type: Transvaal, Witwatersrand, Hutton 877 (Z, holo.!; GRA!; K!; NH!). P. otaviensis Dinter in Feddes Reprium (Beih.) 53: 116, 117 (1928), nomen subnudum based on Dinter 5699 from Otavi (B!; PRE!; SAM!). P. aurifer Dinter ex Launert in Mitt. bot. StSamml., Munch. 2: 312 (1975); Dinter in Feddes Reprium (Beih.) 53: 117 (1928), nomen subnudum. Type: S.W.A./Namibia, Nossib, Dinter 7367 (M, holo.!; K!).
Information
Erect annual or weakly perennial herb up to 1 m tall; stem usually solitary, branching above. Leaves petiolate; blade thin to medium-textured, ovate to ovate-triangular, 40-70 (-90) x 35-60 (-70) mm, subglabrous to finely pubescent, under-surface with reddish to brownish gland-dots, apex acute, base truncate, margin finely to coarsely crenate-dentate; petiole 20—70 mm long. Inflorescence terminal, paniculate, lax or dense; flowers arranged in opposite and decussate, pedun­culate, lax or dense dichasia; peduncle 8—20 mm long; bracts persistent. Calyx 5—7 mm long in fruit, becoming erect and ventricose, subequally 5-toothed. Corolla pale to deep blue (rarely white), 6—7 mm long; tube at first narrow and ascending then sharply decurved about the middle and expanding to the throat; upper lip 2 mm long, lower lip deeply boat-shaped, 4—6 mm long. Stamens free or shortly united at the base, 4—5 mm long.
Habitat
There is a good deal of variation in size and pubescence of the leaves and the size and number of leaf-margin teeth. An interesting feature is that the stamens are sometimes free and sometimes united at the base, a distinction which, in the past, was used to separate the genus Coleus from Plectranthus. It is probable that certain species described from Zimbabwe may prove to be synonyms.
Use
6. PJectranthus hereroensis Engl, in Bot. Jb. 10: 267 (1888); Dinter in Feddes Reprium 22: 380 (1926); Taylor in J. Bot., Lond. 69, Suppl. 2: 160 (1931); Launert & Schreiber in F.S.W. A. 123: 25 (1969). Type: S.W.A./Namibia, Hereroland, Kaiser Wil-helmsberg near Okahandja, Marloth 1350 (B, holo. t; G!, GRA!; K, lecto.!; M!; PRE!; SAM!).
Range
Found in northern S.W.A./Namibia, Botswana and central and northern Transvaal, extending to Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe; on south-facing and wooded hillsides at medium to high altitudes. Map 75.
Plectranthus hereroensis [family LAMIACEAE]
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