Source:
SSA
Synonym(s):
Germanea Lam.: 690 (1788); Hiern: 865 (1900). Coleus Lour.: 372 (1790); Bentham: 47 (1832); Bentham: 70 (1848); Bentham: 1176 (1876); Briquet: 359 (1895); Baker: 422 (1900); Cooke: 289 (1910); all in part. Neomuellera Briq.: 186 (1894). Burnatastrum Briq.: 358 (1895). Ascocarydion G.Taylor: 162 (1931).
Description:
Annual or perennial herbs or subshrubs; stems and leaves herbaceous, semisucculent or succulent. Leaves mostly crenate-dentate. Inflorescences usually terminal, spike-like or paniculate; flowers in verticils, few-flowered cymes or dichasia, or occasionally solitary; bracts small, clearly differentiated from leaves. Calyx 2-lipped to subequally 5-toothed; when 2-lipped, upper lip consisting of a large single tooth, lower lip of 4 lanceolate-deltoid to subulate teeth; tube glabrous or villous within, sometimes gibbous at base. Corolla bilabiate; tube usually bent and variously expanded near base, occasionally expanding gradually, rarely straight; upper lip usually 4-lobed, shorter than lower boat-shaped lip. Stamens 4, rarely 2 abortive, arising at corolla mouth, free or united in a sheath at base, declinate in lower lip of corolla; anthers 1-thecous. Style lying with stamens in lower lip of corolla; stigma shortly 2-lobed. Nutlets ovoid or oblong, smooth. x = 6, 7 (11, 13, 15, 17) (polyploidy).
Distribution:
Species +/- 300, in tropical and warm regions of the Old World; 45 widespread in sthn Afr., but absent from Northern Cape.
Classification:
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