''Coleus barbatus'', also known by the synonyms ''Plectranthus barbatus'' and incorrectly ''Coleus forskalaei'' (and other spellings of this

epithet An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...

), is a tropical perennial plant related to the typical

coleus ''Coleus'' is a genus of annual or perennial herbs or shrubs, sometimes succulent, sometimes with a fleshy or tuberous rootstock, found in the Old World tropics and subtropics. The relationship among the genera ''Coleus'', '' Solenostemon'' and ...

species. It produces

forskolin Forskolin (coleonol) is a labdane diterpene produced by the plant ''Coleus barbatus'' (Blue Spur Flower). Other names include pashanabhedi, Indian coleus, makandi, HL-362, mao hou qiao rui hua. As with other members of the large diterpene class of ...

, an

extract An extract is a substance made by extracting a part of a raw material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol, oil or water. Extracts may be sold as tinctures, absolutes or in powder form. The aromatic principles of many spices, nuts, h ...

useful for

pharmaceutical A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and re ...

preparations and research in

cell biology Cell biology (also cellular biology or cytology) is a branch of biology that studies the structure, function, and behavior of cells. All living organisms are made of cells. A cell is the basic unit of life that is responsible for the living and ...

Name

The Brazilian name is (), or , as opposed to the Chilean true

boldo ''Peumus boldus'', the only species in the genus ''Peumus'', is commonly known as boldo (from the Mapuche name ''foḻo''). This tree of the family Monimiaceae is natively endemic to the central region of Chile, occurring from 33° to 40° sou ...

; (); (); or (; 'Oxalá's carpet', because of its

velvet Weave details visible on a purple-colored velvet fabric Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed, with a short pile, giving it a distinctive soft feel. By extension, the word ''velvety'' means ...

y texture).

Taxonomy

''Coleus barbatus'' was first described by

Henry Cranke Andrews Henry Cranke Andrews (floruit, fl. 1794 – 1830), was an English botanist, botanical artist and engraver. As he always published as Henry C. Andrews, and due to difficulty finding records, the C. was often referred to as Charles, until a reco ...

in 1810 as ''Plectranthus barbatus''. It was transferred to ''Coleus'' by Bentham in 1830. Although ''Coleus'' was previously sunk into ''Plectranthus'', the original binomial was revived in a major study of the subtribe Plectranthinae in 2019. There has been some confusion over the synonyms of this species. ''Plectranthus forskaolaei'' was first described by Vahl in 1790. Vahl's name is illegitimate, because he treats it as a synonym of the earlier described ''Ocimum hadiense'' Forrsk. Vahl spelt the epithet as "''Forskålaei''", referring to

Pehr Forsskål Pehr is a predominantly Swedish language masculine give name and may refer to: *Pehr Adlerfelt (1680–1743), Swedish Army colonel * Pehr von Afzelius (1760–1843), Swedish medical doctor and professor *Pehr Victor Edman (1916—1977), Swedish bi ...

, whose surname is also spelt "Forskål". The

International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants The ''International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants'' (ICN) is the set of rules and recommendations dealing with the formal botanical names that are given to plants, fungi and a few other groups of organisms, all those "trad ...

at Art. 60.7 specifies that "å" is to be replaced by "ao". Willdenow in 1800 referred to Vahl's name, but spelt the epithet "''forskolaei''". (, the ''

International Plant Names Index The International Plant Names Index (IPNI) describes itself as "a database of the names and associated basic bibliographical details of seed plants, ferns and lycophytes." Coverage of plant names is best at the rank of species and genus. It inclu ...

'' had the spelling "''forskalei''".) It was probably this species that Briquet referred to when transferring a species to ''Coleus'' as "''C. forskohlii'' (Willd.) Briq.", introducing yet another spelling of the epithet; however, Briquet did not explicitly refer to a

basionym In the scientific name of organisms, basionym or basyonym means the original name on which a new name is based; the author citation of the new name should include the authors of the basionym in parentheses. The term "basionym" is used in both botan ...

. Briquet regarded "''Coleus forskohlii''" as synonymous with what he called "''C. barbatus'' Benth.", although Vahl had originally given a different synonymy. Paton et al. (2019) state that the epithets "''forskalaei''" or "''forskohlii''" are incorrectly applied to this species, instead treating binomials with these epithets as synonyms of '' Coleus hadiensis'', in accordance with Vahl's original use.

Chemistry

Herbal tea Herbal teas, also known as herbal infusions and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Oftentimes herb tea, or the plain term ...

s made from ''Coleus barbatus'' contain

rosmarinic acid Rosmarinic acid, named after rosemary (''Salvia rosmarinus'' Linn.), is a polyphenol constituent of many culinary herbs, including rosemary (''Salvia rosmarinus'' L.), perilla (''Perilla frutescens'' L.), Salvia officinalis, sage (''Salvia offic ...

and also

flavonoid Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

glucuronide A glucuronide, also known as glucuronoside, is any substance produced by linking glucuronic acid to another substance via a glycosidic bond. The glucuronides belong to the glycosides. Glucuronidation, the conversion of chemical compounds to glucur ...

s and

diterpenoid Diterpenes are a class of chemical compounds composed of four isoprene units, often with the molecular formula C20H32. They are biosynthesized by plants, animals and fungi via the HMG-CoA reductase pathway, with geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate being ...

Forskolin Forskolin (coleonol) is a labdane diterpene produced by the plant ''Coleus barbatus'' (Blue Spur Flower). Other names include pashanabhedi, Indian coleus, makandi, HL-362, mao hou qiao rui hua. As with other members of the large diterpene class of ...

, which derives its name from the incorrect binomial name ''Coleus forskohlii'', is a constituent of ''Plectranthus barbatus''.

References

External links

PLANTS Database image

(www.ethno-botanik.org) {{Taxonbar, from1=Q87638983, from2=Q311226 barbatus Taxa named by Henry Cranke Andrews