NEW SOUTH WALES FLORA ONLINE

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Synonyms: Plectranthus alloplectus S.T.Blake APNI*

Description: Openly branched suffrutescent subshrub to 1 m high with a distinctively silvery indumentum. Lacking a strong scent when crushed. Branches densely covered with yellowish or whitish multicellular, retrorse nonglandular hairs and orange sessile glands. Does not form a distinctive tuber. Sessile multicellular glands 8-celled and orange.

Leaves discolorous; lamina narrow-ovate, 30–75 mm long, 10–38 mm wide, apex acute to obtuse, base attenuate to cuneate, margin dentate or crenate with 8–26 pairs of teeth, densely distributed hairs and multicellular coloured sessile glands on upper and lower surfaces; upper surface grey-green to olive-green, veins impressed; lower surface veins raised, hairs and orange sessile multicellular glands densely distributed.

Inflorescence to 320 mm long, consisting of up to 5 racemose branches; verticillasters 6–13-flowered. Pedicel 1–3.2 mm long. Calyx 1.7–2.8 mm long. Corolla intensely blue to purple-blue, 8–12 mm long; tube 4–5 mm long, curved downwards at an angle of 60°–80°. Stamen extending past lower corolla lobe, pollen orange. Style extending past lower lobe.

Fruiting calyx accrescent, 3–4.2 mm long. Mericarp glossy dark-brown, circular in outline, flattened, 0.7–0.9 mm long and wide.

Flowering: from September to April.

Distribution and occurrence: Occurs in a restricted area of northeastern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland.

Uncommon, grows on rhyolite or trachyte rock-outcrops, pavements, cliffs and steep ledges.
NSW subdivisions: NC
Other Australian states: Qld

AVH map***

Occurs with other Coleus species, including C. suaveolens in NSW. This species is considered endangered by Saving our Species (SoS, Office of Environment & Heritage NSW).