Plectranthus parviflorus
Content
Description
Erect herb or semi-shrub, 0.1-1 m.
Leaves thick- or thin-chartaceous, ovate to suborbicular, l-2.5(-9) by 0.5-l(-5) cm, broadly acute or rounded, base rounded or subcordate, often slightly oblique, entire;
Flowers 6-12 in dense verticillasters, laxly disposed in terminal and upper axillary racemes 5-30(-35) cm long, simple or branched at the base.
Stamens exserted.
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: New Guinea present, Australasia, East. Malesia present, Flores present, Lesser Sunda Is present, Melanesia present, Polynesia present, Sumbawa present, Timor present, Wetar present
Australia, Polynesia, and ? Melanesia; in East. Malesia: Lesser Sunda Is. (Sumbawa, Wetar, Flores, Timor) and New Guinea.
The Sumatran specimens mentioned in the precursor l.c. 150 have here been discarded; their identity is uncertain and the material too young to place with certainty.
The Sumatran specimens mentioned in the precursor l.c. 150 have here been discarded; their identity is uncertain and the material too young to place with certainty.
Notes
BLAKE (l.c. 35-45) devoted a critical, lengthy synonymy and discussion to this species which he amply described from Australian specimens. He said that P. parviflorus is distinguished in the field by its tuberous base, the (small) tuber formed at ground level being already developed in seedlings before the second pair of leaves is developed; after flowering plants die down almost to the tuber, new shoots being later produced from it and the basal part of the stem.
I have included in this concept also P. klossii from New Guinea which BLAKE keeps apart as a separate species. In carefully comparing his key and descriptions it turns up that the main difference given by BLAKE is the presence of a tuberous stem-base in P. parviflorus. In this species also the axis of the inflorescence would have, besides normal shorter and longer hairs, also sessile glands (in his key: 'many and coloured') while in P. klossii there would be no or few of such sessile coloured glands. In addition, he himself says (bottom of l.c. 39) that the indumentum of leaves and stems is more variable than those in the other Australian species, which observation almost reduces the assumed differences between P. klossii and P. parviflorus to the tuberous stem-base. However, there are no complete collections of P. klossii including the stem-base, so that we are ignorant in this respect. It is remarkable that BLAKE completely ignored to mention the very close affinity.
CLAMAGIRAND 59bis, from Timor, has exceptionally long pedicels, 5-6 mm, under the fruiting calyx.
I have included in this concept also P. klossii from New Guinea which BLAKE keeps apart as a separate species. In carefully comparing his key and descriptions it turns up that the main difference given by BLAKE is the presence of a tuberous stem-base in P. parviflorus. In this species also the axis of the inflorescence would have, besides normal shorter and longer hairs, also sessile glands (in his key: 'many and coloured') while in P. klossii there would be no or few of such sessile coloured glands. In addition, he himself says (bottom of l.c. 39) that the indumentum of leaves and stems is more variable than those in the other Australian species, which observation almost reduces the assumed differences between P. klossii and P. parviflorus to the tuberous stem-base. However, there are no complete collections of P. klossii including the stem-base, so that we are ignorant in this respect. It is remarkable that BLAKE completely ignored to mention the very close affinity.
CLAMAGIRAND 59bis, from Timor, has exceptionally long pedicels, 5-6 mm, under the fruiting calyx.
Citation
KENG 1969 – In: Gard. Bull. Sing. p 150
STEEN. 1934 – In: Bull. Jard. Bot. Btzg. p 222
BTH. 1848 – In: DC., Prod. 12. p 67
WILLD. 1848 – In: DC., Prod. 12. p 67
WILLD. 1870 – In: Fl. Austr. p 78
BTH. 1832: Lab. Gen. Sp. p 37
KENG 1969 – In: Gard. Bull. Sing. p 150
HILLEBRAND 1888: Fl. Hawaii. p 344
BLAKE 1971: p. 32. – In: Contr. Queensl. Herb. f. 2 B-C, 3 I, 16, 17 A-C, 36 (map).
STEEN. 1934 – In: Bull. Jard. Bot. Btzg. p 222
DOMIN 1929 – In: Bibl. Bot. p 1118
MANSFELD 1929 – In: Bot. Jahrb. p 379
BLAKE 1971: p. 35. – In: Contr. Queensl. Herb. f. 2 L, 4 A, 18, 35 (map).
MANSFELD 1929 – In: Bot. Jahrb. p 379