Researchers report 15 new species of Coleus (Lamiaceae) and revised 95 taxa in Central Africa

NEWS - Researchers revised the genus Coleus (Lamiaceae) in DR Congo, Rwanda and Burundi based on herbarium taxonomy. Pierre Meerts of the Université Libre de Bruxelles in Brussels and Alan Paton of the Herbarium Royal Botanic Gardens in Richmond reported 95 taxa consisting of 89 species, 1 subspecies and 5 varieties.

The report includes 15 new species and one new variety: Coleus duvigneaudii, C. hildei, C. kaminaensis, C. kundelunguensis, C. linarioides, C. lisowskii, C. marunguensis, C. minusculus, C. mitwabaensis, C. mystax, C. pengbelensis, C. piscatorum, C. pseudoschizophyllus, C. ruziziensis, C. zigzag and C. esculentus var. kolweziensis.

The specimens comprise 14 new species recorded in DR Congo and 2 new species recorded in Burundi. The report also makes 4 new combinations: Coleus betonicifolius var. kasomenensis, C. esculentus var. densus, C. esculentus var. primulinus and C. parvifolius. The lectotype includes 10 names and the neotype includes 1 name.

The researchers also report 13 new synonyms. Special attention is paid to the Coleus bojeri complex. The report also makes 3 names to accommodate the wide variation pattern in Central Africa consisting of C. chevalieri, C. collinus and C. heterotrichus. Meanwhile, the endemic species of DR. Congo, Rwanda and Burundi include 15 taxa.

The genus Coleus (Lour) was first formally described by the Portuguese botanist João de Loureiro (1717-1791) in 1790 in Fl. Cochinch.: 372. The large genus includes more than 300 species, dozens of synonyms and most occur naturally in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Australia.

Original research

Meerts PJ, Paton AJ (2024). The genus Coleus (Lamiaceae) in Central Africa (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi), with the description of 15 new species. PhytoKeys 246: 71-178, DOI:10.3897/phytokeys.246.129476

Plumeria rubra and Plumeria obtusa, the differences

SPECIES HEAD TO HEAD - The genus frangipani trees ( Plumeria Tourn. ex L.) has only 18 officially recorded species and two very similar species, frangipani ( Plumeria rubra L.) and white frangipani ( Plumeria obtusa L.). Both have the same habitus, flowers and fruits and are difficult to distinguish. The leaves of both species have slightly different shapes. Therefore, the leaves are very important to distinguish the two species, especially the shape of the tip. P. rubra has simple, lanceolate leaves with acute tips. P. obtusa has simple, elliptic leaves with rounded tips. By Aryo Bandoro Founder of Dlium.com . You can follow him on X: @Abandoro . Read more: Plumeria rubra Plumeria obtusa

Bugang (Clerodendrum calamitosum)

Bugang ( Clerodendrum calamitosum ) is a species of plant in the Lamiaceae family. It is an erect shrub, growing up to 1 meter tall, with cylindrical, green stems and white hairs. The leaves are opposite. The leaf blade is oval, wavy, with a central main vein with numerous pinnate minor veins, and serrated margins. The leaves are up to 9 cm long and 7 cm wide. The petiole is up to 2 cm long. The flowers are star-shaped, white, up to 3 cm in diameter and up to 6 cm in total length. The fruit is round, dark green, turning black when ripe. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Lamiaceae Subfamily: Ajugoideae Genus: Clerodendrum L. in Sp. Pl.: 637 (1753) Species: Clerodendrum calamitosum L. in Mant. Pl. 1: 90 (1767) HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS Clerodendrum fastigiatum (W.Hunter ex Ridl.) H.J.Lam in Verben. Malay. Archip.: 317 (1919) Volkameria alternifolia Burm.f. in Fl. Indica: 137 (1768) Volkameria fastigiata W.Hunter...

Common sun skink (Eutropis multifasciata)

Kadal kebun or bengkarung or Mabuya multifasciata or common sun skink ( Eutropis multifasciata ) is a species of lizard in Scincidae, has a pattern of faint lines extending to the sides of the body, measuring 18 to 22 cm in length with a tail length of about 60% of the overall body and more many live on the ground. E. multifasciata has a sharp head with a very short neck and a square cross section. The upper part is dark brown or shiny grayish brown with a golden body side especially near the neck. Sometimes also decorated with small pale spots on the back. The lower neck is light brown and the abdomen to the anus is pale brown. The muzzle is reddish, the tail is the same color as the body, decorated with a faint dark line on the sides. The arms are also the same color as the upper body. Common sun skinks usually live on the edge of forests, gardens, rice fields and human settlements. They spend most of their time on the ground, usually in crevices and rocky cliffs as a place t...

Dlium