Tas. 8024, 
COLEUS sarrensis. 
~ British Central A frica. 
Lapiuatz. Tribe OcimorpEs. 
Co.zus, Lour.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p. 1176; Engl. & 
Prantl, Pflanzenf. vol. iv. 8 A, p. 359. 
Coleus shirensis, Giirke in Engl. Jahrb. vol. xix. p- 216; Baker in Thiselton- 
Dyer, Fl. Trop. Afr. vol. v. p. 443; exaffinitate C. thyrsoidei, Baker, a quo 
foliis simpliciter dentatis cymis sessilibus et calyce 4-lobo differt. 
Herba perennis, radice fibrosa, 24-3 ped. alta, ramosa, glanduloso-puberula et 
villosa, caule demum glabro verrucoso. Rami acute quadranguli, virentes, 
purpureo-maculati, demum obtuse-angulati et pallide brunnei. Folia 
Jonge petiolata, ovata, acuta, basi subtruncata vel subcordata, ad 
petiolum breviter cuneato-decurrentia, crenato-dentata, rugosa, utringue 
minute puberula. Panicule spiciformes, 3-1 ped. longs, terminales, 
verticillastris vel cymis 10-20 composite, glanduloso-puberale et villose, 
Pedicelli 2-6 lin. longi. Calyx inequaliter 4-lobus; lobi majores 
subsequales, divergentes, 1} lin. longi, fere 1 lin. lati, oblongi, superiore 
obtuso, inferiore acute bifido; lobi minores 2 lin. longi, } lin. lati, lineari- 
oblongi, obtusi, omnes in fructu conniventes, accrescentes. Corolla 9 
lin. longa, violaceo-ccerulea ; tubus abrupte deflexus, compressus, apice 
dilatatus, intra ad flexuram membrana clausus; labium superius sub- 
quadratum, inzqualiter 4-lobum; labiam inferius compresso-cymbiforme, 
acutum. Stamina corolle subequalia; filamenta supra insertionem ad 
tertiam partem connata. Sty/us demum corollam breviter excedens., 
This fine species of Coleus is allied to the handsome 
C. thyrsoideus (B. M. t. 7672), differing in its simply 
toothed leaves, sessile cymes, the 4-lobed calyx, and the 
darker blue colour of its flowers. It was sent to Kew in 
1902 by Mr. J. McClounie from Zomba, in British 
Central Africa, a region that appears to be comparatively 
rich in species of this and the allied genus Plectranthus, 
some of them being quite as ornamental as the present 
one. As grown at Kew, Coleus shirensis becomes a fine 
bushy plant about three feet high, each branch ending in 
a long, spike-like panicle of dark blue flowers, and during 
the present year has lasted in flower from February to 
April. It requires the same treatment as other species of | 
the genus. 
Descr.—A fibrous-rooted, branching herb about three feet 
high. Branches at first sharply four-angled, glandular and 
hairy, pale green, spotted with purple, becoming glabrous, 
obtusely angular, verrucose at the spots, and pale brown 
JuLy Ist, 1905, 
