Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Online edition

Coleus foetidus (Benth.) A.J.Paton


Herb (herbaceous or woody, under 1 m tall)
Shrub (woody or herbaceous, 1-6 m tall)
Click/tap on images to enlarge
Leaves and Flowers. © CSIRO
Scale bar 10mm. © CSIRO
Family

Bentham, G. (1834) Labiatarum Genera et Species : 35. Type: hab in Hava Hollandia tropica: ad Endeavours River, Banks! (v.s. sp in herb. Banks).

Stem

Flowers and fruits as a shrub about 1 m tall.

Leaves

Leaf blades about 2-10 x 1.5-9.5 cm, petioles about 0.5-3 cm long. Both the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf blade clothed in soft, pale hairs. Translucent orange or yellow sessile glands visible on both the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf blade but more readily seen on the lower surface. Plant covered in soft, pale hairs.

Flowers

Inflorescence about 3-16 cm long, flowers clustered in groups of about 6-11. Pedicels about 0.5-1.5 mm long. Calyx about 2.5-4.5 mm long. Outer surface of the calyx and at least part of the corolla lobes clothed in long white or purple hairs plus orange-yellow glands. Corolla about 7-11 mm long. Anthers purple, filaments pink to purple. Stigma bilobed.

Fruit

Fruiting calyx about 4-5.5 mm long clothed in long pale hairs and small orange or red globose glands and enclosing the nutlets. Nutlets about 0.7-0.85 mm long.

Seedlings

Features not available.

Distribution and Ecology

Endemic to NEQ. Altitudinal range not clearly defined but known to occur between 300-900 m. Grows in rocky areas in rain forest and open forest.

Synonyms
Plectranthus foetidus Benth.Labiatarum Genera et Species : 35 (1834). Type: Australia, Queensland, Endeavour River, 1770, Banks & Solander, (holotype: BM).
RFK Code
3489
Copyright © CSIRO 2020, all rights reserved.