NEW SOUTH WALES FLORA ONLINE

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Synonyms: Plectranthus caldericola P.I.Forst. APNI*

Description: Very open, straggling and few-branched suffrutescent subshrub to 0.5 m high with a distinctively reddish orange young leaves at the shoot apex (due to noticeable concentration of coloured multicellular sessile glands, and a whitish indumentum. Producing a faint lemon-like scent when crushed. Branches distinctively red or maroon, densely covered by long (to 3 mm long) nonglandular hairs and sparsely covered with glandular hairs. Tuberous. Sessile multicellular glands 8-celled and orange.

Leaves discolorous; petiole to 5–33 mm long; lamina broadly ovate or nearly cordate, 10–80 mm long, 10–90 mm wide, apex rounded, base truncate, margin crenate with 7–9 pairs of teeth, divaricate hairs sparsely to densely distributed on upper and lower surfaces; upper surface dark green, veins impressed, multicellular coloured sessile glands sparsely distributed (when mature); 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 2–14-flowered. Pedicel 0.8–1.8 mm long. Calyx 1.8–2 mm long. Corolla purple, 6–9 mm long; tube 3–4 mm long, curved downwards at an angle of 10°–45°. Stamen extending past lower corolla lobe, pollen white. Style extending beyond stamen and lower corolla lobe.

Fruiting calyx accrescent, 3–3.5 mm long. Mericarp glossy brown, circular in outline, flattened, 0.6–0.7 mm long and wide.

Flowering: from March to July.

Distribution and occurrence: Known only from border ranges region of northern NSW.

Uncommon, grows on rock outcrops and pavements formed of porphyritic basalts, 900 to 1000 m above sea level.
NSW subdivisions: NC

AVH map***

Occurs with other Coleusspecies, including C. graveolens and C. australis.