Coleus esculentus (N.E.Br.) G.Taylor

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Haslemere Lane, Umwinsidale

Photo: Bart Wursten
Chinyakwaremba, Vumba

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Synonyms:	Plectranthus esculentus N.E. Br. Plectranthus floribundus N.E. Br.
Common names:	Finger potato (English) Livingstone potato (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Perennial herb or suffrutex with long arching, woody, sparsely branched stems. Leaves subsessile, oblong-elliptic to oblanceolate, thick-textured with brown gland-dots on the under surface; margin obscurely toothed. Inflorescences erect along the stems, flowering before any leaves appear. Flowers bright yellow. The tuberous roots are edible.
Type location:	South Africa, KwaZulu Natal
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	esculentus: edible
Habitat:	In rocky areas in woodland.
Altitude range: (metres)
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Mali Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Angola and South Africa.
FZ divisions:	N
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 188. as Plectranthus esculentus Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 44. as Plectranthus esculentus Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 29. as Plectranthus esculentus Kujeke, G.T., Masekesa, R.T., Icishahayo, D., Ngadze, E. & Mazarura, U. (2015). A Survey of the Production Practices of Livingstone Potato (Plectranthus esculentus), an Indigenous and Underutilised Vegetable in Zimbabwe Journal of Agriculture and Ecology Research International 4(4) Pages 175 - 187. as Plectranthus esculentus Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 56. as Plectranthus esculentus Ntore, S. & al. (2024). Checklist of the vascular plants of Burundi Page 146. Paton, A.J. et al. (2013). Lamiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 8(8) Pages 240 - 241. as Plectranthus esculentus Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 79. as Plectranthus esculentus Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 113. as Plectranthus esculentus longipes

Other sources of information about Coleus esculentus:

Our websites:

Flora of Burundi: Coleus esculentus
Flora of Malawi: Coleus esculentus
Flora of Mozambique: Coleus esculentus
Flora of Zambia: Coleus esculentus
Flora of Zimbabwe: Coleus esculentus
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Coleus esculentus

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Coleus esculentus
African Plant Database: Coleus esculentus
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Coleus esculentus
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Coleus esculentus
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Coleus esculentus
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Coleus esculentus
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Coleus esculentus
JSTOR Plant Science: Coleus esculentus
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Coleus esculentus
Plants of the World Online: Coleus esculentus
Tropicos: Coleus esculentus
Wikipedia: Coleus esculentus