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Plectranthus barbatus
Also called Forskohlii, Abyssinian Coleus, Bearded Hullwort, Bearded Spurflower, Indian Coleus, Woolly Plectranthus
A tropical semi-succulent perennial subshrub (up to 1.5 m) grown for its large serrated leaves and purple-blue flower spikes, and known as a source of forskolin. It is grown outdoors in warm climates and sometimes kept as a container plant.
Coleus barbatus, also known by the synonyms Plectranthus barbatus and incorrectly Coleus forskalaei (and other spellings of this epithet), is a tropical perennial plant related to the typical coleus species. It is known by the common name woolly plectranthus. It produces forskolin, an extract useful for pharmaceutical preparations and research in cell biology.
Herbal teas made from Coleus barbatus contain rosmarinic acid and also flavonoid glucuronides and diterpenoids.
Forskolin, which derives its name from the incorrect binomial name of this plant, Coleus forskohlii, has been isolated from the roots.
The distribution area extends from tropical Africa across the Arabian Peninsula to parts of South Asia and East Asia. It is native to Burundi, China South-Central, East Himalaya, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Nepal, Oman, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Yemen and Zaïre.
Common Thicket Spurflower · Hullworts · Coleus amboinicus · Coleus argentatus · Coleus maculosus subsp. edulis · Coleus esculentus · Coleus rotundifolius · Coleus scutellarioides · Hullworts
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Coleus barbatus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
