Taxon:  Coleus scutellarioides (L.) Benth.



Summary
Genus:
Coleus
Family:
Lamiaceae (alt. Labiatae)
Subfamily:
Nepetoideae
Tribe:
Ocimeae
Subtribe:
Plectranthinae
Nomen number:
70195
Place of publication:
N. Wallich, Pl. asiat. rar. 2:16.  1830
Verified:
03/23/2021 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
48 (27  active, 17  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  2. Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959-. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae.
  3. Codd, L. E. 1975. Plectranthus (Labiatae) and allied genera in Southern Africa. Bothalia 11:439. Note: = Solenostemon scutellarioides (L.) Codd
  4. Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
  5. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  6. Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening Note: = Solenostemon scutellarioides (L.) Codd
  7. Paton, A. et al. 2019. Nomenclatural changes in Coleus and Plectranthus (Lamiaceae): a tale of more than two genera. PhytoKeys 129:1-158.
  8. Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
  9. Suddee, S. et al. 2004. A taxonomic revision of tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (Lamiaceae) in continental South East Asia II. Plectranthinae. Kew Bull. 59:410.
  10. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishcoleus as Plectranthus scutellarioides1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Englishpainted-nettle as Solenostemon scutellarioides1Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening Note: as Solenostemon scutellarioides
Chinesewu cai su五彩苏 2Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
GermanBuntblatt as Plectranthus scutellarioides2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6 Note: as Solenostemon scutellarioides
GermanBuntnessel as Plectranthus scutellarioides2Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen Note: as Plectranthus scutellarioides
Spanishmacho as Plectranthus scutellarioides2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6 Note: as Solenostemon scutellarioides
Spanishnene as Plectranthus scutellarioides2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6 Note: as Solenostemon scutellarioides
Spanish (Mexico)ahijado as Plectranthus scutellarioides2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6 Note: as Solenostemon scutellarioides
Swedishpalettblad as Plectranthus scutellarioides2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
unknownel-nene as Solenostemon scutellarioides2Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs Note: as Solenostemon scutellarioides
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaFujian Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaGuangdong Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaGuangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateEastern AsiaTaiwan  Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndia  Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentSri Lanka  Suddee, S. et al. 2004. A taxonomic revision of tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (Lamiaceae) in continental South East Asia II. Plectranthinae. Kew Bull. 59:411-412.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaCambodia  Suddee, S. et al. 2004. A taxonomic revision of tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (Lamiaceae) in continental South East Asia II. Plectranthinae. Kew Bull. 59:411-412.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaLaos  Suddee, S. et al. 2004. A taxonomic revision of tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (Lamiaceae) in continental South East Asia II. Plectranthinae. Kew Bull. 59:411-412.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaMyanmar  Suddee, S. et al. 2004. A taxonomic revision of tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (Lamiaceae) in continental South East Asia II. Plectranthinae. Kew Bull. 59:411-412.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaThailand  Suddee, S. et al. 2004. A taxonomic revision of tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (Lamiaceae) in continental South East Asia II. Plectranthinae. Kew Bull. 59:411-412.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaVietnam  Suddee, S. et al. 2004. A taxonomic revision of tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (Lamiaceae) in continental South East Asia II. Plectranthinae. Kew Bull. 59:411-412.
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaIndonesia  Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaMalaysia  Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaPhilippines  Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1NativeAsia-TropicalPapuasiaPapua New Guinea  Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1NativeAsia-TropicalPapuasiaSolomon Islands  Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1NativeAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaNorthern Territoryn.Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
1NativeAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaQueenslandn.Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
1NativeAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaWestern Australian.Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
2Cultivated    widely cult. in tropicsSuddee, S. et al. 2004. A taxonomic revision of tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (Lamiaceae) in continental South East Asia II. Plectranthinae. Kew Bull. 59:411-412.
Native
Asia-Temperate
  • CHINA: China [Fujian Sheng, Guangdong Sheng, Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu]
  • EASTERN ASIA: Taiwan
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India, Sri Lanka
  • PAPUASIA: Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands
  • INDO-CHINA: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam
  • MALESIA: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia [Queensland (n.), Western Australia (n.), Northern Territory (n.)]
Cultivated (widely cult. in tropics)

Reference(s)
  1. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  2. Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
  3. Suddee, S. et al. 2004. A taxonomic revision of tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (Lamiaceae) in continental South East Asia II. Plectranthinae. Kew Bull. 59:411-412.
  4. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalornamentalas Solenostemon scutellarioidesHuxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening Note: as Solenostemon scutellarioides
Medicinesfolkloreas Plectranthus scutellarioidesPadua, L. S. de et al., eds. 1999. Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 12(1):408.
Medicinesfolkloreas Solenostemon scutellarioidesDuke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs Note: as Solenostemon scutellarioides
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=70195. Accessed 12 May 2026.