Lamiaceae
Coleus

Coleus rhodesianus (N.E.Br.) A.J.Paton

First published in PhytoKeys 129: 88 (2019)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical Africa to Caprivi Strip. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
A slender creeping herb
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Small, pale blue flowers
Ecology
Usually in marshy savanna.
[FWTA]

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: Guinea, between Timbo and Kouria, Sept. 1907, Chevalier s.n. (P, holo. K!, iso.)
Morphology General Habit
Annual aromatic herb 10–100 cm tall
Morphology Stem
Stems quadrangular, erect or scandent, slightly succulent, freely branching becoming slender in the inflorescence axis, sometimes with adventitious roots near base, pubescent with short, patent or retrorse hairs and pale sessile glands, becoming more sparsely pubescent and with sometimes glandular hairs on the inflorescence axis
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite, spreading, petiolate or subsessile; blades ovate or broadly ovate, 1–4 × 0.6–2(–2.5) cm, entire or serrate, apex acute to obtuse, base rounded to broadly cuneate or attenuate, sparsely pubescent with hairs confined to veins or scattered all over and with pale sessile glands; petiole 0–6 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence axillary and terminal, branching with branches slender, rarely with 2 inflorescence axes arising from each upper leaf scar; flowers single, oppositely arranged towards the apex often spirally arranged below, strongly secund, often clustered towards the end of the axis; bracts linear or elliptic, 1 mm long; pedicels 1–3 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 1 mm long, pubescent with pale sessile glands; fruiting calyx 2.5–3.5 mm long, shortly tubular/campanulate with pedicel attached excentrically behind the posterior lip; throat truncate; lobes ± equal, lanceolate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white, blue or purple, 4–5 mm long, with scattered pale sessile glands; tube 2–3 mm long, shallowly sigmoid to scarcely so; posterior lip shorter than anterior; anterior lip 1–2 mm long, cucullate enclosing stamens
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Staminal filaments fused
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlets brown with darker speckles, broadly ovoid, slightly flattened, 1 mm long, producing copious mucilage.
Ecology
Open Brachystegia woodland and grassland, sand or black clay often in wet areas; 600–1800 m
Conservation
Least concern; widely distributed
Distribution
Range: Widespread in tropical Africa south to Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Caprivi Strip Flora districts: U1 U2 U3 U4 K3 T1 T4 T6 T7 T8
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical 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 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