Equilabium Mwany., A.J. Paton & Culham, Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 188(4): 367. 2018

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 : 98

Equilabium Mwany., A.J. Paton & Culham, Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 188(4): 367. 2018 Figs 6 , 7

Type species.

Equilabium laxiflorum (Benth.) Mwany., A.J.Paton & Culham.

Description.

Annual or perennial herbs or soft wooded shrubs, rarely woody shrubs, sometimes with a persistent woody or fleshy rootstock. Leaves opposite. Inflorescence thrysoid, usually lax; cymes sessile or pedunculate, 1 –3(– 5, very rarely -7); bracts subtending cymes persistent. Flowers pedicelate. Calyx funnel-shaped, straight with pedicel attaching symmetrically at the calyx base, not opposite posterior lip, two-lipped; throat glabrous within, open; posterior lip 1-lobed, usually broader than anterior lobes, shortly decurrent on tube or not; anterior lip 4-lobed; lobes triangular or lancolate; lateral lobes broader or equal to median lobes and held midway between the posterior lobe and the median lobes of the anterior lip; median lobes triangular to lanceolate. Corolla two-lipped with lips equal in length; tube sigmoid, sometimes strongly so, narrow and parallel-sided at base and expanding towards throat; posterior lip 4-lobed erect or ascending; anterior lobe horizontal, cucullate, sometimes frilled at apex. Stamens 4; filaments not fused together, held within the anterior lip. Style bifid with lobes subulate. Nutlets ovoid.

42 species mainly in Tropical Africa but including two in India.

Figures

Figure 6. Species of Equilabium 1. A Equilabium dolomiticum (Photo: Neil Crouch) B E. dissectum var. dissectum (Photo: Montfort Mwanyambo) C E. gracilum (Photo: Bart Wursten) D E. laxiflorum (Photo: Bart Wursten).

Figure 7. Species of Equilabium 2. A Equilabium laxiflorum (Photo: Bart Wursten) B E. petiolare (Photo: Neil Crouch) C E. subincisum (Photo: K. Smitha) D E. stenophyllum (Photo: Bart Wursten).