Coleus Lour., Fl. Cochinch.: 372. 1790

Paton, Alan J., Mwanyambo, Montfort, Govaerts, Rafael H. A., Smitha, Kokkaraniyil, Suddee, Somran, Phillipson, Peter B., Wilson, Trevor C., Forster, Paul I. & Culham, Alastair, 2019, Nomenclatural changes in Coleus and Plectranthus (Lamiaceae): a tale of more than two genera, PhytoKeys 129, pp. 1-158 : 8

Coleus Lour., Fl. Cochinch.: 372. 1790 Figs 4 , 5

Pycnostachys Hook., Exot. Fl. 3: t. 202. 1826. synon. nov. Type: P. coerulea W.J.Hooker (here recognized under Coleus stenostachys (Baker) A.J.Paton, non Coleus coeruleus Gürke).

Solenostemon Thonn. in C.F.Schumacher, Beskr. Guin. Pl.: 271. 1827. Type: Solenostemon ocymoides Schumach. & Thonn (here recognized under Coleus monostachyus (P. Beauv.) A.J.Paton).

Anisochilus Wall. ex Benth., Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 15: t. 1300. 1830. synon. nov. Type: Anisochilus carnosus (L.f.) Wall. ex Benth. (here recognized under Coleus strobilifer (Roxb.) A.J.Paton, non Coleus carnosus Hassk.).

Mitsa Chapel. ex Benth. nom. inval, Labiat. Gen. Spec.: 52. 1832.

Echinostachys E.Mey., Comm. Pl. Afr. Austr.: 243. 1838. synon. nov. Type: Echinostachys reticulata E.Mey. (here recognized under Coleus kirkii (Baker) A.J.Paton, non Coleus reticulatus A.Chev.).

Saccostoma Wall. ex Voigt, Hort. Suburb. Calcutt.: 449. 1845. Type: S. urticifolius Voigt. (See unplaced names).

Majana Rumph. ex Kuntze, nom. superfl. Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 523. 1891.

Englerastrum Briq., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 19: 178. 1894. Type: E. schweinfurthii Briq. (here recognized under Coleus rhodesianum (N.E.Br.) A.J.Paton).

Neomuellera Briq., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 19: 180. 1894. Type: N. welwitschii Briquet (here recognized under Coleus fredericii G.Taylor).

Capitanya Schweinf. ex Gürke, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 21: 105. 1895. Type: Capitanya ostostegioides Gürke (here recognized as Coleus otostegioides ( Gürke) A.J.Paton).

Burnatastrum Briq. in H.G.A.Engler & K.A.E.Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 4. 3A: 358. 1897. Type: Burnatastrum lanceolatum (Bojer ex Benth.) Briq. (here recognized as Coleus lanceolatus (Bojer ex Benth.) A.J.Paton).

Stiptanthus Briq. in H.G.A.Engler & K.A.E.Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 4. 3A: 352. 1897., synon. nov. Type: Stiptanthus polystachyus (Benth.) Briq. (here recognized as Coleus polystachys (Benth.) A.J.Paton).

Symphostemon Hiern, Cat. Afr. Pl. 1: 867. 1900. Type: S. insolitus (C. H. Wright) Hiern (here recognized as Coleus insolitus (C.H.Wright) Robyns & Lebrun).

Leocus A.Chev., J. Bot. (Morot) 22: 125. 1909. Type: L. lyratus Chevalier (here recognized as Coleus lyratus (A.Chev.) Roberty).

Isodictyophorus Briq., Mém. Soc. Bot. France 8: 285. 1917. Type: I. chevalieri Briquet (here recognized as Coleus reticulatus A.Chev.).

Briquetastrum Robyns & Lebrun, Ann. Soc. Sci. Bruxelles, Sér. B 49: 102. 1929. Type: B. africanum (Baker) W. Robyns et Lebrun (here recognized under Coleus engleri (Briq.) A.J.Paton, non C. africanum Benth.).

Holostylon Robyns & Lebrun, Ann. Soc. Sci. Bruxelles, Sér. B 49: 103. 1929. Type designated here: Holostylon gracilipedicellatum Robyns & Lebrun (here recognized as Coleus gracilipedicellatum (Robyns & Lebrun) A.J.Paton).

Ascocarydion G.Taylor, J. Bot. 69 (suppl. 2): 162. 1931. Type: Ascocarydion mirabile (Briq.) G.Taylor (here recognized as Coleus mirabilis Briquet).

Neohyptis J.K.Morton, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 58: 258. 1962. Type: Neohyptis paniculata (Baker) J.K.Morton (here recognized under Coleus guerkei (Briq.) A.J.Paton, non Coleus paniculatus Benth.).

Rabdosiella Codd, Bothalia 15: 9. 1984. Type: R. calycina (Bentham) Codd (here recognized as Coleus calycinus (Benth.) A.J.Paton).

Coleus sect Solenostemonoides Briq. in H.G.A.Engler & K.A.E.Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 4(3A): 359. 1897. Type as below.

Calchas P.V.Heath, Calyx 5: 160. 1997. Type: Solenostemon latifolius (Hochst. ex Benth) J.K.Morton, designated by Codd (1975), here recognized under Coleus bojeri Benth.

Type species.

C. amboinicus Lour.

Description.

Annual or perennial herbs or shrubs, sometimes succulent, sometimes with a fleshy or tuberous rootstock. Leaves opposite, sometimes whorled. Inflorescence thyrsoid, strongly condensed to lax, with cymes sessile or pedunculate, sometimes with long cincinnate branches, 1- many-flowered; bracts subtending cymes usually not persistent beyond flowering, sometimes erect forming a coma at apex of flowering stem. Flowers sessile or pedicellate, sometimes spirally arranged on inflorescence axis. Calyx funnel-shaped to tubular, straight or curved, often ventrally gibbous, with pedicel attaching asymmetrically at calyx base opposite the posterior lip, two lipped to regularly 5-lobed, rarely circumscissile at base ( C. coeruleus ); throat glabrous, pubescent or bearded, open or closed by scales or converging lips; if regularly lobed the lobes triangular, lanceolate or spinescent; if two lipped, posterior lip 1-lobed, larger or similar size to other lobes, decurrent or not; anterior lip 4-lobed with lobes variously shaped; lateral lobes lanceolate, triangular to oblong or rounded; held midway between the posterior lobe and median lobes of the anterior lip; median lobes lanceolate to triangular, sometimes separated by a sinus or sometimes fused at base for a longer distance than the lateral and median lobes. Corolla two-lipped with posterior lip shorter than anterior lip, rarely subequal; tube sigmoid to almost straight, narrow and parallel-sided at base, expanding towards throat, very rarely gibbous, rarely annulate; posterior lip 4-lobed, erect or ascending; anterior lip horizontal cucullate to concave. Stamens 4; filaments fused together or free, held within the anterior lip or exserted. Style bifid with subulate lobes, rarely entire. Nutlets ovoid, often dorso-ventrally flattened.

294 species in the Old World tropics and subtropics; often cultivated elsewhere.

Figures

Figure 4. Species of Coleus 1. A Coleus anamudianus (Photo: K. Smitha) B C. amboinicus (Photo: Neil Crouch) C C. barbatus (Photo: Neil Crouch) D C. bracteatus (Photo: Witawat Keiwbang) E C. harmandii (Photo: Thamarat Phutthai).

Figure 5. Species of Coleus 2. A Coleus maculosus subsp. lanatus (Photo: Vincent Droissart) B C. mirabilis (Photo: David Goyder) C C. porphyranthus (Photo: Neil Crouch) D C. orthodontus (Photo: Bart Wursten) E C. tenuicaulis (Photo: Ernst van Jaarsveld) F C. strobilifer (Photo: Naiyana Tetsana).