Coleus scutellarioides (L.) Benth.
Vernacular name: Coleus, Painted Nettle (Hindi: रंगीन पत्ती)
Species Name: Coleus scutellarioides (L.) Benth.
Family: Lamiaceae
Habit: Perennial herb or subshrub.
Stem: Erect to ascending, succulent, quadrangular, much-branched, glabrous to sparsely pubescent.
Leaf: Opposite, broadly ovate, 5–15 × 3–10 cm, crenate to serrate, velvety, highly variegated in green, red, purple, yellow, pink, or cream, long-petiolate.
Flowering: Summer–autumn.
Flowers: Small, bluish to lavender, arranged in terminal racemes; corolla bilabiate; stamens 4, didynamous; ovary superior, deeply 4-lobed.
Fruit: Dry schizocarp splitting into four small nutlets.
Uses:
- In traditional practices, fresh leaves are boiled to make infusions that can help to treat ulcers, boils, inflammations, ear and eye discomforts.
- Roots are use in folk medicines to treat fever, stomach pain, constipation and diarrhea due to its diuretic and laxative properties.
- In some regions, leaf infusions are used to ease severe cough, asthma, tuberculosis and other respiratory ailments.
- Widely cultivated as an ornamental foliage plant in gardens, borders, pots, and indoor displays. Leaves are highly valued for their vibrant colours and diverse patterns.
