WorldFloraDB - Plectranthus barbatus

Characteristics

Erect, bushy, softly semi-succulent woody herb or soft shrub up to 3 m tall; stems densely woolly tomentose. Leaves petiolate; blade semi-succulent, ovate to broadly elliptical, 40-90 x 25-50 mm, densely woolly tomentose, under-surface copiously gland-dotted, apex obtuse to rounded, base obtuse to cuneate, margin regularly crenate-dentate; petiole 10-20 mm long. Inflorescence a terminal spike-like raceme 200-230 mm long, enclosed in large imbricate bracts in the bud stage, elongating and becoming lax with age; bracts ovate, acuminate, early deciduous; flowers in 3-4-flowered sessile cymes forming 6-8-flowered verticils. Calyx 7 mm long in fruit, like P. tetensi, glandular hispid. Corolla pale blue-mauve, 17-20 mm long; tube geniculate about the middle and expanding to the mouth; upper lip 3 mm long, lower lip boat-shaped 10-13 mm, long. Stamens 10-14 mm long, united at the base for 3 mm.

More

Perennial, soft shrub or semi-succulent, woody herb, up to 3 m high; stems densely woolly-tomentose. Leaves petiolate, ovate to broadly ovate-elliptical, densely woolly-tomentose, undersurface copiously gland-dotted, base obtuse to cuneate, apex obtuse to rounded, margins regularly crenate-dentate. Inflorescence terminal, rachis 200-230 mm long; verticillasters 6-8-flowered; bracts large and imbricate in bud stage, elongating and lax with age, ovate, acuminate. Flowers pale blue-mauve. Calyx glandular-hispid. Corolla: tube geniculate about middle and expanding to mouth; lower lip boat-shaped. Stamens united at base. Flowering time Jan.-Apr.

A herb. It has a thickened fleshy rootstock. It keeps growing from year to year. The stems are erect. They only have a few branches. It is 20-30 cm high. It can be 75 cm high. The leaves have short stalks. The leaves are oval and have teeth along the edge. They are 4-8 cm long by 2-4.5 cm wide. They are hairy on both surfaces. The flowers are in spike like groups 10-20 cm long. The flowers are pale blue in spikes forming a ring.

Life form	perennial
Growth form
Growth support	free-standing
Foliage retention	deciduous
Sexuality	hermaphrodite
Pollination	-
Spread	-
Mature width (meter)	-
Mature height (meter)	3.0
Root system	-
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Root diameter (meter)	-
Flower color
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Nitrogen fixer	-
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Environment

A tropical and subtropical plant. It grows throughout Nepal between 1000-2500 m altitude. It grows in openings in pine forests. It is rare in Swaziland.

Light	-
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Hardiness (USDA)

Usage

The young nutlets are added as flavouring to pickles and roasted foods. The tubers are eaten.

Uses	environmental use food food additive gene source material medicinal
Edible	leaves roots seeds tubers
Therapeutic use	Asthma (unspecified)
Human toxicity	-
Animal toxicity	-

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seeds or suckers.

Mode	seedlings
Germination duration (days)	-
Germination temperacture (C°)	-
Germination luminosity	-
Germination treatment	-
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Optimum temperature (C°)	-
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