painted-nettle

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• painted-nettle
• Painted nettle
• common coleus

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Coleus laciniatus
• Majana pumila
• Solenostemon blumei
• Majana scutellarioides var. blumei
• Coleus scutellarioides var. crispipilus
• Calchas scutellarioides var. limnophila
• Coleus verschaffeltii var. splendens
• Ocimum scutellarioides
• Germanea nudiflora
• Calchas crispipilus
• Plectranthus scutellarioides
• Calchas scutellarioides
• Coleus scutellarioides var. angustifolius
• Calchas acuminatus
• Plectranthus nudiflorus
• Calchas scutellarioides var. angustifolia
• Coleus scutellarioides var. limnophilus
• Calchas atropurpureus
• Plectranthus merrillii
• Coleus pumilus
• Calchas scutellarioides var. crispipilus
• Coleus secundiflorus
• Coleus scutellarioides var. laxus
• Plectranthus laciniatus
• Coleus savannicola
• Coleus verschaffeltii var. marmoratus
• Plectranthus ingratus
• Coleus rehneltianus
• Coleus hendersonii
• Plectranthus blumei
• Coleus veitchii
• Plectranthus aromaticus
• Coleus blumei var. verschaffeltii
• Coleus verschaffeltii
• Coleus multicolor
• Coleus scutellarioides var. ingratus
• Solenostemon verschaffeltii
• Coleus zschokkei
• Coleus marmoratus
• Coleus scutellarioides var. laciniatus
• Coleus multiflorus
• Coleus batemannii
• Majana scutellarioides var. atropurpureus
• Coleus bausei
• Coleus pubescens
• Coleus berkeleyi
• Coleus atropurpureus var. ramosus
• Coleus telfordii
• Coleus clarkei
• Coleus dixii
• Coleus marshallii
• Coleus murrayi
• Coleus scutellarioides var. integrifolius
• Coleus reveesii
• Coleus gibbsiae
• Coleus ruckeri
• Coleus scutellarioides var. gibbsiae
• Coleus saundersii
• Coleus gibsonii
• Coleus scottii
• Coleus scutellarioides var. grandifolius
• Solenostemon scutellarioides
• Coleus gaudichaudii
• Coleus atropurpureus var. densiflorus
• Ocimum peltatum
• Coleus formosanus
• Coleus atropurpureus var. javanicus
• Stenogyne fauriei
• Coleus hybridus
• Coleus scutellarioides var. blumei
• Coleus grandifolius
• Coleus scutellarioides var. gracilis
• Coleus macranthus
• Coleus scutellarioides var. celebicus
• Coleus macranthus var. crispipilus
• Majana scutellariodes
• Coleus integrifolius
• Majana secundiflora
• Coleus ingratus
• Majana multiflora
• Coleus igolotorum
• Majana acuminata
• Majana blancoi
• Coleus blancoi
• Majana grandifolia
• Coleus blumei
• Coleus blumei var. pectinatus
• Coleus crispipilus
• Coleus blumei var. marshallii
• Coleus atropurpureus
• Coleus blumei var. murrayi
• Coleus acuminatus
• Coleus blumei var. telfordii
• Coleus pictus
• Coleus scutellarioides ruber
• Coleus bellotii
• Coleus morletii
• Coleus thomasii

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Lamiales and family Lamiaceae, it is classified under the genus Coleus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical range that spans across several continents and distinct ecological zones. In West Tropical Africa, its presence is noted specifically within Guinea. Moving into West-Central Tropical Africa, the species can also be found in Rwanda. Its distribution extends to the Western Indian Ocean, where it inhabits the Comoros. Finally, the plant is located in East Asia, specifically throughout China Southeast and the Nansei-shoto islands.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Coleus scutellarioides is characterized by its broad adaptive capacity across diverse altitudinal gradients, allowing it to thrive in a wide variety of topographical settings. The species demonstrates significant vertical distribution flexibility, inhabiting environments ranging from sea level up to a maximum elevation of 2200 m AMSL. This extensive elevational range suggests that the plant is capable of tolerating diverse microclimates, ranging from the warmer, more humid conditions of lowland tropical or subtropical regions to the cooler, potentially more temperate conditions found in higher montane ecosystems. Such a wide ecological niche indicates a high degree of resilience to varying atmospheric pressures, temperature fluctuations, and moisture availability throughout its established range.

Elevational range max:

2200 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Coleus scutellarioides is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, allowing the plant to persist through multiple growing seasons. In terms of its structural life form, it exhibits characteristics of both a chamaephyte and a therophyte, indicating a versatile survival strategy that can involve staying low to the ground with buds near the soil surface or completing its seasonal development as an annual-like growth form.

Life form :

chamaephyte

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Coleus scutellarioides is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb, specifically classified as a forb. This terrestrial plant functions as an independent organism, neither acting as a parasite nor as an epiphyte. Structurally, it is a self-supporting species rather than a climber, liana, or vine. In terms of stature, the plant exhibits a variable height, ranging from a minimum of 0 m to a maximum of 1.5 m, with an average plant height of approximately 1 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

1.5 m

Plant height mean:

1 m

Plant height min:

0 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Coleus scutellarioides is characterized by specific morphological dimensions and metabolic strategies that define its growth habits. The leaves exhibit a significant range in size, with a minimum length of 4 cm and a maximum length reaching up to 12 cm, while the width varies from a minimum of 3 cm to a maximum of 7 cm. In terms of water management and tissue structure, the plant does not exhibit succulence, indicating a standard leaf anatomy rather than specialized water-storing parenchyma. Furthermore, the plant does not possess the physiological capacity for nitrogen fixation, meaning it relies on external soil nutrients rather than symbiotic bacterial processes to acquire nitrogen for its metabolic functions.

Leaf length max:

12 cm

Leaf length min:

4 cm

Leaf width max:

7 cm

Leaf width min:

3 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Succulence :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Coleus scutellarioides is characterized by a highly flexible flowering phenology, as the plant can produce flowers at any time throughout the year, with flowering periods spanning from December through November and remaining highly variable. The resulting fruits are notably minute, measuring between 0.075 cm and 0.12 cm in length. The seeds produced are extremely lightweight, with a mean mass of 0.000285 g, ranging from a minimum of 0.00028 g to a maximum of 0.00029 g. Regarding its dispersal mechanisms, the species exhibits an unspecialized dispersal syndrome, which includes various methods such as anemochory, zoochory, autochory, and hydrochory, while also being subject to anthropochory.

Dispersal syndrome :

unspecialized

Dispersal syndrome :

anthropochorous

Flowering time :

Dec

Fruit length max:

0.12 cm

Fruit length min:

0.075 cm

Seed mass max:

0.00029 g

Seed mass mean:

0.000285 g

Seed mass min:

0.00028 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Coleus scutellarioides has 2 reported plant parts identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, root.

Leaf

1. Biological research
2. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin
3. Cell biochemistry and function

Root

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Chemicals

Coleus scutellarioides has 16 reported phytochemicals identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 1-OCTEN-3-OL, 1-Octene-3-ol, 2-HEXEN-1-OL, 2-HEXENAL, 3-OCTANOL.

1-OCTEN-3-OL

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

1-Octene-3-ol

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

2-HEXEN-1-OL

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

2-HEXENAL

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

3-OCTANOL

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Cirsimaritin

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Copaene

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Flavonoids

1. Acta medica Philippina

Phytosterol

1. Dr. Duke

Sabinen

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Activities

Coleus scutellarioides has 9 reported activities identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antifungal, Antioxidant, Antiseptic.

Antibacterial

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Anticancer

1. Pharmaceutics

Antifungal

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Antioxidant

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Antiseptic

1. Dr. Duke

Cancer-Preventive

1. Dr. Duke

Cytotoxic

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Genotoxic

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Pesticide

1. Dr. Duke

Medicinal Uses

Coleus scutellarioides has 4 reported medicinal uses identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include antihypertensive, cancer, glycation, hypertension.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations