432 
fleshy and thickened. Stems square, erect 
to straggling, fleshy, easily snapped, the 
lower parts up to 13 mm diameter and 
not noticeably thickened, pink-purple to 
pink-green, upper parts with persistent 
indumentum, non-glandular trichomes sparse 
to dense, antrorse, 6-10-celled up to 1 mm 
long, glandular trichomes absent, sessile 
glands sparse. Leaves discolorous, petiolate; 
petioles 7-19 x 1.5-2 mm, channelled on top, 
non-glandular trichomes sparse, antrorse, 
4-10-celled up to 0.5 mm long, glandular 
trichomes absent, sessile glands occasional 
to sparse; laminae lanceolate-ovate to ovate, 
fleshy, ±flat to slightly keeled, 30-70 x 26- 
50 mm, crenate with 8-14 teeth up to 4 mm 
long on each margin, of similar length along 
margin, secondary teeth poorly developed; 
tip acute; base obtuse to rounded; upper 
surface medium-green and somewhat glossy, 
veins impressed and often pink-purple, 
non-glandular trichomes sparse, antrorse, 
4-8-celled up to 0.5 mm long, glandular 
trichomes and sessile glands absent; lower 
surface pale purple to purple-green and with a 
light hoary silver frosting from indumentum, 
veins strongly raised, non-glandular 
trichomes sparse, antrorse, 4-8-celled up to 
0.8 mm long, glandular trichomes absent, 
sessile glands scattered. Inflorescence up to 
350 mm long, usually single or with 1 or 2 
side branches; axis square in cross-section, 
pink-purple, non-glandular trichomes sparse, 
antrorse, 4-8-celled up to 0.5 mm long, 
glandular trichomes sparse and minute (< 0.2 
mm long), sessile glands absent or occasional; 
bracts broadly ovate, 1.5-1.8 x 7-8 mm, 
ecomose, margins somewhat irregularly 
crenate to crenulate due to slightly enlarged 
bases of trichomes, non-glandular trichomes 
sparse, antrorse, 4-6-celled up to 0.4 mm 
long, glandular trichomes absent, sessile 
glands occasional to scattered; verticillasters 
6-10-flowered, 7-20 mm apart; pedicels 
4-5 x c. 0.2 mm, non-glandular trichomes 
sparse, antrorse, 2-4-celled up to 0.2 mm 
long, glandular trichomes and sessile glands 
absent. Flower calyces 2.5-2.8 mm long, 
non-glandular trichomes sparse, antrorse, 
2-4-celled up to 0.2 mm long, glandular 
trichomes occasional and very short (< 0.2 
Austrobaileya 9(3): 431-438 (2015) 
mm long), sessile glands sparse. Corolla 9.5- 
11.5 mm long, blue-purple; tube 5-6 mm long, 
abruptly curved at 80-90° 2-2.4 mm from the 
base, slightly inflated upwards, non-glandular 
trichomes absent or occasional, 2-celled 
and very short (< 0.2 mm long), glandular 
trichomes and sessile glands absent; upper 
lobes suborbicular, erect to weakly reflexed, 
1.8-2 x 1.5-1.6 mm, non-glandular trichomes 
scattered, antrorse, 2-4-celled up to 0.3 mm 
long, glandular trichomes absent, sessile 
glands sparse; lateral lobes rounded, c. 0.5 
x 0.7-0.8 mm, glabrous; lower lobe oblong- 
ovate, 5-5.2 x 4-4.2 mm, non-glandular 
trichomes sparse, antrorse, 2-4-celled up to 
0.3 mm long, glandular trichomes absent, 
sessile glands sparse; filaments filiform, 7-8 
x c. 0.2 mm, lilac, fused for 4-5 mm from the 
base; anthers c. 0.4 x 0.3 mm; style filiform, 
8-9 x c. 0.2 mm, cream, bifid for c. 0.5 mm. 
Fruit calyces 4.5-5 mm long; upper lobe 
broadly ovate, 2-2.2 x 2-2.2 mm; lateral 
lobes lanceolate, 1.8-2.2 x 0.7-0.8 mm; lower 
lobes lanceolate-falcate, 2-2.2 x 0.7-0.8 mm. 
Nutlets ± circular in outline, compressed 
flattened globose, 0.8-1 mm wide, 0.4-0.5 
mm thick, brown, weakly verrucose. Fig. 1. 
Distribution and habitat : Thus far, 
Plectranthus laetus has been collected from 
a single locality on Orchid Creek Station, 
southwest of Lockhart River on Cape York 
Peninsula in Queensland. Plants commonly 
grew in diffuse colonies on granite boulders 
and slabs in the ecotone between woodland 
dominated by Corymbia clarksoniana 
(D.J.Carr & S.G.M.Carr) K.D.Hill & 
L.A.S.Johnson, Eucalyptus cullenii Cambage 
and Melaleuca saligna Schauer and closed 
forest (semi-deciduous notophyll vineforest) 
at altitudes between 380 and 400 m. Some 
plants were also found under the vineforest 
canopy, but usually in sunny spots or in 
close proximity to the margin. Other species 
in close association at the type locality 
included Abelmoschus moschatus subsp. 
tuberosus (Span.) Borss.Waalk., Cymbopogon 
queenslandicus S.T.Blake, Desmodium tenax 
Schindl., Glycine sp. (Bolt Head PI.Forster 
PIF8948), Hibiscus normanii F.Muell., 
Setaria oplismenoides R.A.W.Herrm., 
Solanum intonsum A.R.Bean and Vernonia 
