Orthosiphon thymiflorus (Roth) Sleesen

Lamiaceae (Labiatae), A.J. Paton, G. Bramley, O. Ryding, R.M. Polhill, Y.B. Harvey, M. Iwarsson, F. Willis, P.B. Phillipson, K. Balkwill, C.W. Lukhoba, D.F. Otieno, & R.M. Harley. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2009

Type

Type: South India, Heyne s.n. (B†, holo.)

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herb, straggling, becoming somewhat shrubby, flowering from an early stage and developing a small rootstock with a number of ascending stems 0.2–1.5 m tall, not or hardly aromatic

Morphology Stem

Stems erect, quadrangular, normally well branched, with incipient shoots in many of the axils, retrorsely pubescent along the angles, more densely hairy above and occasionally with dense spreading indumentum overall

Morphology Leaves

Leaves petiolate, glandular-punctate; blade ovate to elliptic, mostly 1–4 × 0.6–3 cm, but shade forms up to 6–8 × 4–5 cm, crenate to serrate, acute or slightly acuminate to obtuse at apex, usually cuneate and shortly attenuate at base, occasionally more truncate, glabrous to pubescent above, pubescent especially along the veins beneath; petiole 5–10(–25) mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence soon lax, the 6-flowered verticils 8–14(–20) mm apart; bracts ovate-triangular, 2–3 mm long, erect above forming an inconspicuous apical coma, deflexed below; pedicels 1–2 mm long in flower, up to 4 mm in fruit

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx conspicuously purple on upper side (posterior lip), green on underside, spreading at anthesis, 3–4 mm long, pubescent at base and along veins; fruiting calyx downward-pointing or vertically so, 5–7 mm long; posterior lip obtuse, minutely mucronate, shortly recurrent on the tube, 1.5–2(–3) mm long; lower lobes of the anterior lip shortly united, awn-like, 2–3 mm long, often 1 mm or so longer than lateral lobes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla usually pink, sometimes white or mauve, 8–10(–16) mm long; tube 6–8 mm long, straight, parallel-sided, dilating slightly towards throat; posterior lip perpendicular to tube; anterior lip cucullate, enclosing stamens, curving slightly upwards or horizontal, finally slightly deflexed and releasing stamens

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Nutlets brown, speckled darker, broadly ovoid, 0.9–1.2 mm long, producing a small amount of mucilage when wet.

Ecology

Wooded grassland, disturbed places, extending into bushland and more open dry forest; near sea-level to 2100 m

Conservation

Least concern; widely distributed

Note

Closely related to O. schimperi, see discussion there.

Distribution

Range: Tropical Africa and South Africa, Madagascar and tropical Asia from Sri Lanka and Peninsular India to China and Indonesia Flora districts: U1 U2 U3 U4 K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T5 T6 T7 T8

Suddee, S., A. J. Paton, & Parnell, J. (2005). Taxonomic Revision of Tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (Lamiaceae) in Continental South East Asia III. Ociminae. Kew Bulletin, 60(1), 3-75. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4110885

Type

South India, Heyne s.n. (holotype B, destroyed).

Morphology General Habit

Erect or ascending herb to 0.8 m tall

Morphology Stem

Stems woody at base, simple or much branched, quadrangular or round-quadrangular, glabrous or glabrescent below, pubescent above

Morphology Leaves

Leaves ovate, papery, 20 - 90 x 10 - 50 mm, apex acute, base truncate or shortly cuneate, margin coarsely serrate, glabrous, puberulous or pubescent with sessile glands on both sides, glands and veins prominent beneath; petioles 8 - 45 mm long, pubescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence terminal, up to 25 cm long, sometimes branched at base; axis puberulous or pubescent, with or without gland-tipped hairs; bracts sessile, subtending 2 - 3 flowers, forming a small apical coma, persistent, ovate, 2 - 3 mm long, shorter than pedicel in flower and fruit, acute, glabrous all over or adaxial glabrous, abaxial puberulous; pedicels 2.5 - 5 mm long at anthesis, 4 - 6 mm in fruit, puberulous, with or without gland-tipped hairs

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 4 - 6 mm long at anthesis, 7 - 9 mm long in fruit; posterior lip orbicular or ovate-orbicular, apex rounded, acute, or apiculate, decurrent on tube, glabrous both sides; anterior lip with subulate teeth, lower teeth the same length or slightly longer than posterior, lateral slightly shorter than posterior; tube puberulous or pubescent outside, with or without gland-tipped hairs, sometimes glabrescent on upper side inside

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white or whitish-purple, 10 - 17 mm long, 3 times as long as calyx; posterior lip 3- lobed, midlobe emarginate; anterior lip slightly concave, ± equal in length to posterior; tube 7 - 12 mm long, dilated towards throat, straight or slightly curved, pubescent outside, hairs denser on anterior side

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens varying from included under anterior corolla lip to slightly exserted, anterior ones slightly longer

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style ± equal to the anterior stamens, clavate and cleft at apex

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc

Disc with anterior side well- developed, apex acute, not exceeding ovary

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Nutlets brown, ellipsoid, 1 - 1.2 mm long, minutely tuberculate or reticulate, producing mucillage when wet or not.

Ecology

In evergreen forest, on limestone rocks in forest; near sea level- 700 m. Flowering and fruiting all year round.

Distribution

Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Burma?, China, Laos, Thailand?, Vietnam, Malaysia & Indonesia.

Vernacular

Laotian: Pheng Deu Gieu, Phong Dieu Yeu, Nouat Meo, Ndi Kou (meo), Njo Tu Neng (meo). Vietnamese: Cay Tinh, Co Ham Huot, Cay Kinh Gioi Giai, Co Ham Huoi.

Note

Orthosiphon thymiflorus is highly variable in hairiness and stamen length. In Indian material, the leaves vary from glabrous to densely pubescent and the stamens are never exserted from the anterior corolla lip. In the Chinese and Indo-Chinese material, the stamens vary from being included in anterior corolla lip (type of O. sinensis Hemsl.) to slightly exserted, as in to the types of O. marmoritis (Plectranthus marmoritis Hance). However the leaves of Chinese and Indo-Chinese material are mostly thin and brittle, whether or not the stamens are exserted. Indian material can sometimes have similar leaves. There is therefore no clear discontinuity in leaves or in other vegetative characters. Doan (1936) used the exserted stamens as a means of separating Orthosiphon thymiflorus (O. tomentosus in his sense) from O. marmoritis but this cannot be upheld because there are intermediates between these two extremes. The formerly accepted name O. marmoritis is here reduced to synonymy. There was also confusion about the varietal names proposed by Sleesen (1959) under Orthosiphon thymiflorus for his revision of Malaysian Orthosiphon; var. tomentosus (Hook. f.) Sleesen should be read as var. tomentosus (Benth.) Sleesen and var. viscosus (Hook. f.) Sleesen should be read as var. viscosus (Benth.) Sleesen; the basionyms being O. tomentosus Benth. and O. viscosus Benth. respectively even though the type of O. tomentosus Benth. is in fact Endostemon viscosus.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Herb with a woody base or subshrub, up to 0.2–1 m tall, slightly or densely pubescent

Morphology Leaves

Leaves petiolate; blade ovate, elliptic or oblong, up to 28–40 × 14–30 mm, apex rounded, obtuse or acute, margin crenate-dentate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Fruiting calyx

Fruiting calyx 5–7 mm long; upper lobe ± mucronate at apex; lower lobes 2–4 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 7–12 mm long, blue, violet, pink or rarely white; tube 6–7 mm long; lower lip 2–4 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens shorter than the lower lip of the corolla

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Nutlets c. 1.1 × 0.8 mm, producing mucilage when wet.

Distribution

N1, 2; widespread in tropical and southern Africa and tropical Asia.

Ecology

Altitude range 1000–2000 m.

Note

Orthosiphon suffrutescens is perhaps not distinct from O. schimperi and the Asiatic O. rubicundus (D. Don) Benth., and if this is the case, the species should be known under the latter name.

Labiatae, J. K. Morton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 2. 1963

Morphology General Habit

A slender straggling subglabrous perennial herb

Ecology

Of deciduous and dry forest and thicket

Note

Frequently purple-tinged on the stem, leaves and inflorescence.