Lamiaceae
Coleus

Coleus barbatus (Andrews) Benth. ex G.Don

First published in J.C.Loudon, Hort. Brit.: 483 (1830)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Eritrea to Tanzania, Arabian Peninsula Indian Subcontinent to S. Central China. It is a semisucculent subshrub or shrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Distribution

Native to:

Burundi, China South-Central, DR Congo, East Himalaya, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Nepal, Oman, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, West Himalaya, Yemen

Introduced into:

Botswana, Cape Provinces, El Salvador, Madeira, Malawi, St.Helena, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Synonyms

Homotypic Synonyms

Accepted Infraspecifics

Classification

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Publications

POWO follows these authorities in accepting this name:

  • Dar, G.H. & Govaerts, R.H.A. (2025). Flora of Kashmir Himalaya: Sind Valley 2: 607-1262. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun, India.
  • Paton, A.J., Mwanyambo, M. Govaerts, R.H.A., Smitha, K., Suddee, S., Phillipson, P.B., Wilson, T.C., Forster, P.I. & Culham, A. (2019). Nomenclatural changes in Coleus and Plectranthus (Lamiaceae): A tale of more than two genera. PhytoKeys 129: 1-158.
  • Rajbhandari, K.R., Rai, S.K. & Chhetri, R. (2022). A Handbook of the Flowering Plants of Nepal 4: 1-522. Department of Plant Resources, Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal.

An alternative taxonomy had been proposed by the following authorities:

  • Darbyshire, I., Kordofani, M., Farag, I., Candiga, R. & Pickering, H. (eds.) (2015). The Plants of Sudan and South Sudan: 1-400. Kew publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. [Cited as Plectranthus barbatus.]
  • Govaerts, R. (1999). World Checklist of Seed Plants 3(1, 2a & 2b): 1-1532. MIM, Deurne. [Cited as Plectranthus barbatus.]
  • Govaerts, R. (2003). World Checklist of Selected Plant Families Database in ACCESS: 1-216203. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. [Cited as Plectranthus barbatus.]

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • (2022). https://doi.org/10.26679/Pleione.16.1.2022.056-067. epublication.
  • (2024). www.phytoneuron.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/47PhytoN-ElSalvadorAdicions.pdf. epublication.
  • Dar, G.H. & Govaerts, R.H.A. (2025). Flora of Kashmir Himalaya: Sind Valley 2: 607-1262. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun, India.
  • Lambdon, P. (2012). Flowering plants & ferns of St Helena: 1-624. Pisces publications for St Helena nature conservation group.
  • Mosti, S., Raffaelli, M. & Tardelli, M. (2012). Contributions to the flora of central-southern Dhofar (Sultanate of Oman). Webbia; Raccolta de Scritti Botanici 67: 65-91.
  • Muer, T., Sauerbier, H. & Cabrara Calixto, F. (2020). Die Farn- und Blütenpflanzen Madeiras: 1-792. Verlag und Versandbuchhandlung Andreas Kleinsteuber.
  • Paton, A.J., Bramley, G., Ryding, O., Polhill, R., Harvey, Y., Iwarsson, M., Willis, F., Phillipson, P., Balkwill, K., Lukhoba, C., Otiend, D & Harley (2009). Lamiaceae (Labiatae). Flora of Tropical East Africa: 1-430.
  • Paton, A.J., Bramley, G., Ryding, O., Polhill, R.M., Harvey, Y.B., Iwarsson, M., Otieno, D., Balkwill, K., Phillipson, P.B., Harley, R.M. & Willis, F. (2013). Flora Zambesiaca 8(8): 1-346. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Other Data

Other Kew resources that provide information on this taxon:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Wood, J.R.I.; Martinez, M.T.; Aramayo, G. [28461] Bolivia K000544499 Yes
May 17, 2013 Katende, T.; Sheil, D. [1927] Uganda Plectranthus barbatus K000938046 No
May 17, 2013 Tiyoy, L.M. [1325] Uganda Plectranthus barbatus K000938047 No
Jan 1, 1999 Rock, J.F. [616] Thailand Plectranthus barbatus K000935200 Yes
Jan 1, 1998 Schimper [333] Ethiopia Plectranthus barbatus K000431891 Unknown Type Material Yes
Russell, W. [s.n.] India Plectranthus barbatus K000820188 Unknown Type Material Yes
Cole, E. [s.n.] Somalia Plectranthus barbatus K000431893 Type Yes
Burger, W. [2246] Ethiopia Plectranthus barbatus K000431888 Unknown Type Material Yes
Burger, W. [2246] Ethiopia Plectranthus barbatus K000431889 Unknown Type Material Yes
Lort Phillips [s.n.] Somalia Plectranthus barbatus K000431892 Type Yes
Colville, J.W. [47] Ethiopia Plectranthus barbatus K000431890 Type Yes
Wight [s.n.] India Plectranthus barbatus K000820187 Unknown Type Material Yes
Ash, J.W. [1664] Ethiopia Plectranthus barbatus K:SPC-35863.000 No
Plectranthus barbatus K:SPC-52769.000 No
Lort Phillips [s.n.] Somalia Plectranthus barbatus K000431894 Type Yes
Ash, J.W. [1592] Ethiopia Plectranthus barbatus K:SPC-35850.000 No
Ash, J.W. [1635] Ethiopia Plectranthus barbatus K:SPC-35903.000 No
Ash, J.W. [1262] Ethiopia Plectranthus barbatus K:SPC-35783.000 No
Volkens, G. [427] Tanzania Plectranthus barbatus K000975992 Neotype Yes

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Art and Illustrations in Digifolia

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew

  • EBC Common Names

    • Common Names from Kew's Economic Botany Collection https://www.kew.org/science/collections-and-resources/collections/economic-botany-collection

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Kew's Living Collection Database

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images