| Etymology | Genus | From Greek plektron (spur) and anthos (flower), referring to the spurred flowers |
|---|---|---|
| Species | One spike (inflorescence) | |
| Family | Lamiaceae | |
| Synonyms | - | |
| Common Names | Monkey's Potato | |
| Status | Exotic: Naturalised | |
| Form | Herb | |
| Native Distribution | Tropical West Africa | |
Diagnostics:
Plectranthus monostachyus is a common short-lived herb found in scrublands, cracks on concrete surfaces, and between crotches of tree trunks and branches (Chung et al., 2015). The leaves are boardly ovate with crenate margins. It has a succulent stem which is round-quadrangular in cross section. The stems, the inflorescent axis, mature calyx and the veins on both sides of leaves are hairy.
Interesting Facts:
This herb was first recorded in 2009 by Ong KH in his flora website (https://ilovenature.sg). While not recorded in our national plant checklist, observance of its widespread occurence makes it likely an already naturalised species in Singapore (Chung et al., 2015).
It was recommended to place Plectranthus monostachyus in the genus Coleus due to recent phylogenetic studies (Paton et al., 2019).
An individual growing in a scrubland.
Leaves and the angular stem.
Inflorescence.
References
Chung YF, Teo S, Chong KY, Kurukulasuriya BR & Tan HTW (2015). Weed risk assessments of the exotic species of Plectranthus L'Hér. (Lamiaceae) in Singapore. Nature in Singapore, 8(1): 1–13.
Paton AJ, Mwanyambo M, Govaerts RHA, Smith K, Suddee S, Phillipson PB, Wilson TC, Forster PI, Culham A. (2019) Nomenclatural changes in Coleus and Plectranthus (Lami
Author: Siyang
Posted: 2024-08-10 / Modified: 2024-08-11