Common name: cockspur flower
Plectranthus parviflorus Willd. APNI* Synonyms: Coleus australis (R.Br.) A.J.Paton APNI*
Description: Non-aromatic shrub, 10–70 cm high, with fleshy tuberous base to c. 3 cm diam.; branches dying away after flowering, moderately covered with short, retrorse multicellular hairs and a few to many longer, spreading to retrorse multicellular hairs, gland-tipped occasionally present, sessile glands absent or occasionally present.
Leaves with lamina circular to ± ovate or oblong-ovate, 2–6.5 cm long, 2–4 cm wide; apex obtuse to ± acute; base cuneate to truncate; margins crenate to blunt-toothed with 4–12 pairs of teeth; lower surface sparsely hairy, denser on upper surface, occasionally with a few sessile glands; petiole 0.5–5 cm long.
Calyx 1.4–2.6 mm long, 4–5 mm long in fruit. Corolla 6–11 mm long, pale blue to violet-blue, ± hairy; tube decurved at an angle of 110deg -140deg ; at least upper lobes with sessile glands.
Flowering: throughout year.
Distribution and occurrence: Widespread, frequently in rocky areas and associated with creeks and rivers.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, ST, NWS, CWS, NWP, ?NFWP
Other Australian states: Qld Vic.
This variable species is often difficult to distinguish from P. graveolens and P. suaveolens.
Text by B. J. Conn
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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