Coleus kunstleri (Prain) A.J. Paton in Paton et al., Phytokeys 129 (2019) 63.

Kiew, Ruth & Kamin, Imin, 2021, Coleus (Lamiaceae) in Peninsular Malaysia including two new species, PhytoKeys 186, pp. 93-110 : 93

2. Coleus kunstleri (Prain) A.J. Paton in Paton et al., Phytokeys 129 (2019) 63.

Plectranthus kunstleri Homotypic synonym: Plectranthus kunstleri Prain, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 74, 2: 706 (1907); Ridley, Fl. Mal. Penin. 2: 646 (1923); Keng, Gard. Bull. Singapore 24: 151 (1969), Fl. Malesiana Ser. I, 8: 392 (1978); Chin, Gard. Bull. Singapore 32: 160 (1979); Turner, Gard. Bull. Singapore. 47: 272 (1996 ‘1995’); Bramley, Fl. Malesiana Ser. I, 23: 293 (2019).Type: Malaysia. Peninsular Malaysia: Perak, Kuala Dipang, top of limestone hills, 130-200 m. Sept. 1885. Kunstler ( King’s collector) 8240 (holotype CAL; isotypes BM!, K!).

Description.

Erect herb, almost shrubby, 0.5-1.2(-1.5) m high. Stem and branches finely puberulous, angular. Leaves with petiole 1-4.5 cm; lamina membranaceous, ovate to broadly ovate, 6-10(-13) × 4-6 cm, base truncate or shortly cuneate, margin elsewhere remotely crenate, apex acute, very sparsely pubescent on the main and secondary veins on both surfaces, sometimes with a whitish line down midrib. Inflorescence terminal, paniculate, 10-20 cm long, the lower branches of the inflorescence axis 5-6 cm, decreasing in length towards apex. Bracts ovate, acute, 2-3 mm long, caducous. Pedicels 3-4 mm long, glandular-puberulent. Flowers spreading, (not pendent); calyx obliquely campanulate, 1-2(-2.5) mm long, in fruit 5-7 mm, shortly hirsute and sparingly gland-dotted, unequally 5-lobed; upper lip ovate, broadly ovate or sub-rounded, lower lip with two lateral ovate-acute lobes shorter (about ¾) than the lower central lobes but later almost equal in fruit, the two central lobes subulate, connate beneath; corolla waxy white or greenish white (Kunstler 8240) or purplish pink (Chin 1760), 7-8(-10) mm long, puberulent, tube sigmoid, decurved, only slightly gibbous near the base, posterior lip short, erect, anterior lip concave, boat-shaped, c. 4 mm long; stamens not exserted, lying within the anterior lip, free above point of insertion on the corolla tube. Nutlets oblong ovoid, black, ca. 1 mm long.

Distribution.

Endemic in Peninsular Malaysia, Perak - Kinta (no specific locality) and Kuala Dipang; and Kedah - Langkawi, Pulau Langgun (Map 1 ).

Provisional conservation status.

Critically Endangered B1ab(i,iii). Limestone hills in Perak are regularly visited for botanical collecting but this species has not been recollected there for over a hundred years and the majority of karst limestone hills in the Kinta Valley are heavily disturbed by quarries. The species was last collected in the 1970s from Pulau Langgun. (Assessed by A.R. Rafidah).

Ecology.

Restricted to limestone rocks, in shade, at 50-200 m elevation, either in open habitats on top of a limestone hill to 200 m (Kunstler 8240) or on huge boulders rooting in rock crevices and on humus accumulated on boulders under shade of scattered trees at ca. 50 m (Chin 1760).

Etymology.

H.H. Kunstler, a German botanist, who collected plants in 1880-1886 mostly from Perak, Peninsular Malaysia, for Sir George King, Director of Calcutta Botanic Garden. He is also recorded on herbarium labels as ‘King’s Collector’.

Additional specimens examined.

Peninsular Malaysia. Perak: Kinta (Kunstler 7143, BM!) . Kedah: Langkawi, Pulau Langgun (Chin 1760, KLU!).

Figures

Map 1. Distribution of Coleus hairulii (circle), C. kunstleri (triangle) and C. rafidahiae (star) in Peninsular Malaysia.