Sykes, W.R.; de Lange, P. J. 1993: Plectranthus parviflorus Willd. (Lamiaceae) in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 31: 11–14.
Details
Sykes, W.R.; de Lange, P. J. 1993: Plectranthus parviflorus Willd. (Lamiaceae) in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 31: 11–14.
Article
Descriptions
Perennial herb, mildly aromatic when bruised; stems ± erect to decumbent, ascending to c. 1 m, dying down almost to the tuberous base after flowering; indumentum of scattered sessile orange glands and ± copious, but not dense, colourless glandular and eglandular hairs, these being mainly retrorse lower down but often spreading towards inflorescence. Petioles to 4 cm long, hairy, broadly channelled above; lamina 3-8 × 2-7 cm, broadly ovate, membranous, ± scabridulous above, puberulent (especially on the veins) and with sessile orange glands beneath, green on both surfaces; margins with up to 10 pairs of prominent rounded or obtuse teeth; base truncate or very broadly cuneate. Inflorescence a terminal, narrow, indeterminate thyrse with 1 or few axes; inflorescence axes 7- 15 cm long, elongating to nearly 40 cm at fruiting; internodes glandular-puberulent and with sessile orange glands; flowers 8-20 per whorl, the lower whorls distant. Bracts broadly ovate, caducous. Calyx strongly 2-lipped; lower lip with 4, triangular, subequal teeth; upper lip suborbicular, mucronate; indumentum of mostly simple hairs and sessile orange glands; fruiting calyx with prominent raised vein net. Corolla 8-11 mm long to apex of lower lip, slightly hairy and glandular outside; tube horizontal or declined, whitish; upper lip 2.4-4 mm long, curving upwards and reflexing, violet except for whitish central band on each lobe; lower lip 4 - 5.5 mm long, naviculate, pale blue or mauve-blue. Stamens lying in lower lip; anthers dark blue; filaments pale bluish. Style included, almost equals longest stamens. Pedicels recurved at fruiting. Nutlets 0.8-1 mm diam., smooth, glossy dark brown, slightly angular or sub-lenticular, or ± rounded. Flowering: January to May.
Identification keys
KEY TO PLECTRANTHUS IN NEW ZEALAND
1
Stems tuberous at base; corolla <1.2 cm long to apex of upper lip
Stems slender at base; corolla 2 cm or more long to apex of upper lip
2
Herb with trailing or straggling semi-prostrate stems; hairs purple; leaves purple beneath; corolla white or mauvish-white
Shrubs with ± erect stems; hairs colourless or nearly so; leaves green beneath; corolla deep blue, violet or purple
3
Leaves ± green, puberulent; corolla violet to purple; inflorescence paniculate and spreading, with several branches nearly as long as axis
Leaves whitish, becoming grey, tomentose when young, remaining densely hairy at maturity; corolla deep blue; inflorescence raceme-like and narrow, usually with an unbranched axis, sometimes short lateral branches present
Reproduced with permission from New Zealand Journal of Botany and The Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi.
Cited scientific names
Metadata
a7726f66-2e02-4552-ac8f-06b077ccffc8
reference
Names_Plants