Tap. 8030. 
PLECTRANTHUS CRASSUS. 
on Nyasaland, 
LABiaAtes#. Tribe OcIMotpER, 
Precrrantuus, L'Hérit.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant, vol. ii. p.1175; Engler’ 
& Prantl, Pflanzenfam. vol. iv. 3 A, p. 352. 
Plectranthus crassus, WV. £. Br. (sp. nov.) Gard. Chron. 1904, vol. i. p. 21, 
sine descriptione apta; ex affinitate P. albocerulei, a qua caule minute 
velutino foliis basi late cuneatis et spicis multo majoribus differt. 
Herba 24-3-pedalis. radice fibrosa. Caules obscure tetragoni, minute velutini, 
brunnei. olii petiolus }j-} poll. longns; lamina 2-33 poll. longa, 
14-25 poll. lata, ovata, obtuse acata, basi acute cuneata, supra minutis- 
sime appresse pubescentia, subtus reticulato-venosa, minutissime tomen- 
toso-puberula. Jnflorescentia terminalis, spiciformis, 5-8 poll. longa, 
simplex vel basi ramosa, verticillis subconfertis sessilibus 8-28-floris. 
Pedicelli 1 lin. longi, puberuli, glandulosi. Calyew 143-2 lin. longus, 
subequaliter 5-lobus, antice profunde fissus, pubescens et glandulosus; 
lobi subulati, acutissimi. Corolla cserulea; tubus decurvus, compressus ; 
labium superius in lobos 2 subquadratos divisum, basi lobulis parvis 
instructum, dorso pubescens; labium inferum 3 lin. longum, eymbiforme, 
obtusum, pubescens. Stamina 2 lin. longa, glabra; filamenta cerulea; 
antheree fuscw. Diseus albidus, lobo magno antico., Sty/us staminibus 
subaqnilongus, glaber, ceeruleus. 
The handsome stove herbaceous plant here figured was 
discovered in Nyasaland by Mr. John Mahon, who sent it 
in 1899 to Kew, where it has flowered regularly during 
the winter months since 1902, forming a useful decorative 
plant at that season of the year, and may be regarded as 
a companion plant to Coleus shirensis figured in this 
Magazine (t. 8024). Plectranthus crassus requires the 
same kind of stove treatment. 
_ Descr.—An herbaceous plant, two and a half to three 
feet high, puberulous and glandular in nearly all parts. 
Stem rather obscurely four-angled, pale brown. Leaves 
spreading; petiole about one-third of an inch long; blade 
two to four inches long, one to two inches and a half 
broad, ovate, obtusely acute, cuneate at the base, minutely 
pubescent on the light green upper surface, veins closely 
reticulate on the under surface. Inflorescence terminal, 
simple or branched at the base, spike-like, five to eight 
inches long, about one inch and a half in diameter, 
AvGust Ist, 1905. 
