''Plectranthus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of about 85 species of flowering plants from the sage family,

Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family (biology), family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle, or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil (herb), ba ...

, found mostly in southern and tropical Africa and Madagascar. Common names include spur-flower. ''Plectranthus'' species are

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

perennial plant In horticulture, the term perennial (''wikt:per-#Prefix, per-'' + ''wikt:-ennial#Suffix, -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annual plant, annuals and biennial plant, biennials. It has thus been d ...

s, rarely annuals or soft-wooded shrubs, sometimes

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

; sometimes with a tuberous base. Several species are grown as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

s. The

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

= 'Plepalila' has received the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. It includes the full range of cultivated p ...

. Recent phylogenetic analysis found ''Plectranthus'' to be

paraphyletic Paraphyly is a taxonomic term describing a grouping that consists of the grouping's last common ancestor and some but not all of its descendant lineages. The grouping is said to be paraphyletic ''with respect to'' the excluded subgroups. In co ...

with respect to ''

Coleus ''Coleus'' (, ) is a genus of annual or perennial herbs or shrubs, sometimes succulent, sometimes with a fleshy or tuberous rootstock, found in the Afro-Eurasia tropics and subtropics. The relationship among the genera ''Coleus'', '' Solenoste ...

'', ''Solenostemon'', ''Pycnostachys'' and ''Anisochilus''. The most recent treatment of the genus resurrected the genus ''Coleus'', and 212 names were changed from combinations in ''Plectranthus'', ''Pycnostachys'' and ''Anisochilus''. ''Equilabium'' was segregated from ''Plectranthus'', after phylogenetic studies supported its recognition as a phylogenetically distinct genus.

Etymology

The word ''plectranthus'' derives from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

πλῆκτρον (''plēktron''), "anything to strike with, an instrument for striking the lyre, a spear point" + ἄνθος (''anthos''), "blossom, flower".ἄνθος
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', on Perseus

Species

Paton et al. (2019) listed 72 species. ,

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

accepted 84: *'' Plectranthus alboviolaceus'' Gürke – South Africa: E. Cape Prov. to N. KwaZulu-Natal *'' Plectranthus ambiguus'' (Bolus) Codd – South Africa: E. Cape Prov. to N. KwaZulu-Natal *'' Plectranthus amplexicaulis'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus antongilicus'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus asymmetricus'' A.J.Paton – Zambia *'' Plectranthus atroviolaceus'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus aulihanensis'' (Schweinf. & Volkens) ined. *'' Plectranthus betamponus'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus bracteolatus'' A.J.Paton – Tanzania *'' Plectranthus brevicaulis'' (Baker) Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus brevimentus'' T.J.Edwards (also as ''P. brevimentum'') – South Africa: Eastern Cape Prov *'' Plectranthus canescens'' Benth. – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus capuronii'' Hedge – Madagascar *''

Plectranthus chimanimanensis ''Plectranthus'' is a genus of about 85 species of flowering plants from the sage family, Lamiaceae, found mostly in southern and tropical Africa and Madagascar. Common names include spur-flower. ''Plectranthus'' species are herbaceous perennial ...

'' S.Moore – E. Zimbabwe to W. Mozambique *'' Plectranthus ciliatus'' E.Mey. – South Africa and Eswatini *'' Plectranthus clementiae'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus cordatus'' A.J.Paton & Phillipson – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus decaryi'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus delicatissimus'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus ecklonii'' Benth. – South Africa *'' Plectranthus elegans'' Britten – S. Malawi *'' Plectranthus elegantulus'' Briq. – South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal *'' Plectranthus ellipticus'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus emirnensis'' (Baker) Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus ernstii'' Codd – South Africa: E. Cape Prov. to S. KwaZulu-Natal *'' Plectranthus forsythii'' Hedge – Madagascar *''

Plectranthus fruticosus ''Plectranthus fruticosus'', the forest spurflower, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is native to Mozambique, Eswatini, and South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal, Northern, and Cape provinces.Plectranthus gardneri'' Thwaites – Sri Lanka *'' Plectranthus gibbosus'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus godefroyae'' (N.E.Br.) ined. *'' Plectranthus grallatus'' Briq. – South Africa, Lesotho *'' Plectranthus grandibracteatus'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus guruensis'' A.J.Paton – Mozambique *'' Plectranthus hexaphyllus'' Baker – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus hilliardiae'' Codd – South Africa: Transkei to KwaZulu-Natal *'' Plectranthus hirsutus'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus hoslundioides'' Scott-Elliot – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus humbertii'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus incrassatus'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus laurifolius'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus linearis'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus longiflorus'' Benth. – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus longipetiolatus'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus lucidus'' (Benth.) van Jaarsv. & T.J.Edwards – South Africa: S. Cape Prov *'' Plectranthus macilentus'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus malvinus'' van Jaarsv. & T.J.Edwards – South Africa: E. Cape Prov *'' Plectranthus mandalensis'' Baker – Malawi (Mt. Mulanje), Mozambique (Mt. Namuli) *'' Plectranthus marquesii'' Gürke *'' Plectranthus mechowianus'' (Briq.) ined. *'' Plectranthus membranaceus'' (Scott-Elliot) Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus miserabilis'' Briq. *'' Plectranthus mocquerysii'' Briq. – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus mzimvubuensis'' van Jaarsv. – South Africa: SE. Cape Prov *'' Plectranthus oblanceolatus'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus oertendahlii'' T.C.E.Fr. – South Africa: S. KwaZulu-Natal *''

Plectranthus ombrophilus ''Plectranthus'' is a genus of about 85 species of flowering plants from the sage family, Lamiaceae, found mostly in southern and tropical Africa and Madagascar. Common names include spur-flower. ''Plectranthus'' species are herbaceous perennial ...

'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus oribiensis'' Codd – South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal *'' Plectranthus papilionaceus'' Ranir. & Phillipson – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus pichompae'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus poggeanus'' (Briq.) ined. *'' Plectranthus praetermissus'' Codd – South Africa: SE. Cape Prov *'' Plectranthus preussii'' (Gürke) ined. *'' Plectranthus purpuratus'' Harv. – South Africa *'' Plectranthus reflexus'' van Jaarsv. & T.J.Edwards – South Africa: SE. Cape Prov *'' Plectranthus rosulatus'' Hedge – NW. Madagascar *'' Plectranthus rubropunctatus'' Codd – South Africa: Limpopo to Eswatini *'' Plectranthus rubroviolaceus'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus saccatus'' Benth. – South Africa: SE. Cape Prov. to KwaZulu-Natal *'' Plectranthus scaposus'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus schweinfurthii'' Sprenger *'' Plectranthus secundiflorus'' (Baker) Hedge – Tanzania (Uluguru Mts.) *'' Plectranthus strangulatus'' A.J.Paton – Tanzania (Uluguru Mts.) *'' Plectranthus strigosus'' Benth. ex E.Mey. – South Africa: S. Cape Prov *'' Plectranthus stylesii'' T.J.Edwards – South Africa: Eastern Cape Prov *'' Plectranthus swynnertonii'' S.Moore – S. Trop. Africa to South Africa, Mpumalanga *'' Plectranthus termiticola'' A.J.Paton *'' Plectranthus trilobus'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus verticillatus'' (L.f.) Druce – S. Mozambique to South Africa *'' Plectranthus vestitus'' Benth. – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus vinaceus'' Hedge – Madagascar *'' Plectranthus viridis'' (Briq.) ined. *'' Plectranthus zenkeri'' Gürke *'' Plectranthus zuluensis'' T.Cooke – South Africa: SE. Cape Prov. to Eswatini

Transferred to ''Coleus''

Species transferred to ''

'' in 2019 include: *''Plectranthus amboinicus'' (Lour.) Spreng. → '' Coleus amboinicus'' *''Plectranthus argentatus'' S.T.Blake → '' Coleus argentatus'' *''Plectranthus barbatus'' Andrews → '' Coleus barbatus'' *''Plectranthus caninus'' Roth → ''

Coleus caninus ''Coleus caninus'', synonym ''Plectranthus caninus'', also called dogbane, piss-off plant and scaredy-cat plant, is a herb from the mint family Lamiaceae, native to southern and eastern Africa from Angola to Sudan and to India and Myanmar. Desc ...

'' *''Plectranthus cataractarum'' B.J.Pollard → '' Coleus cataractarum'' *''Plectranthus cremnus'' B.J.Conn → '' Coleus cremnus'' *''Plectranthus dissitiflorus'' (Guerke) J.K.Morton → '' Coleus dissitiflorus'' *''Plectranthus edulis'' (Vatke) Agnew → ''Coleus maculosus'' subsp. ''edulis'' *''Plectranthus esculentus'' N.E.Br. → '' Coleus esculentus'' *''Plectranthus graveolens'' R.Br. → '' Coleus graveolens'' *''Plectranthus hadiensis'' (Forssk.) Schweinf. ex Sprenger → '' Coleus hadiensis'' *''Plectranthus neochilus'' Schltr. → '' Coleus neochilus'' *''Plectranthus ornatus'' Codd → ''

Coleus comosus ''Coleus comosus'', synonym ''Plectranthus ornatus'', is a flowering plant from the mint family Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family (biology), family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle, or sage fami ...

'' *''Plectranthus parviflorus'' Willd. → '' Coleus australis'' *''Plectranthus rotundifolius'' (Poir.) Spreng. → ''

Coleus rotundifolius ''Coleus rotundifolius'', synonyms ''Plectranthus rotundifolius'' and ''Solenostemon rotundifolius'', commonly known as native potato or country potato in Africa and called Chinese potato in India, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the mint f ...

'' *''Plectranthus scutellarioides'' (L.) R.Br. → '' Coleus scutellarioides'' *''Plectranthus socotranus'' Radcl.-Sm. → '' Coleus socotranus'' *''Plectranthus unguentarius'' Codd → '' Coleus unguentarius'' *''Plectranthus welwitschii'' (Briq.) Codd → '' Coleus fredericii''

Other species formerly placed in ''Plectranthus''

*'' Anisochilus carnosus'' (L. f.) Wall. ex Benth. (as ''P. strobilifer'' Roxb.) *'' Capitanopsis oreophila'' (Hedge) Mwany., A.J.Paton & Culham (as ''P. bipinnatus'' A.J.Paton) *'' Isodon coetsa'' (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) Kudô (as ''P. coetsa'' Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) *'' Isodon inflexus'' (Thunb.) Kudô (as ''P. inflexus'' (Thunb.) Vahl ex Benth.) *'' Isodon lophanthoides'' (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) H.Hara (as ''P. striatus'' Benth.) *'' Isodon rugosus'' (Wall. ex Benth.) Codd (as ''P. rugosus'' Wall. ex Benth.) *'' Isodon sculponeatus'' (Vaniot) Kudô (as ''P. sculponeatus'' Vaniot) *''

Tetradenia riparia ''Tetradenia riparia'' is a species of flowering plant native to southern Africa. It belongs in the mint and sage family Lamiaceae. It is occasionally referred to as misty plume bush and is commonly used as a decorative garden plant due to its fl ...

'' Hochstetter and Codd (as ''P. riparius'' A.Rich.)

References

External links

{{Authority control Lamiaceae genera Root vegetables Leaf vegetables