Some species of Plectranthus are difficult to identify because of a lack of clear-cut morphological criteria to discriminate not only among species within the genus but also among the closely related genera. This has resulted in numerous taxonomic problems in the naming of species with the result that species have often been placed in several closely related genera like Coleus, Solenostemon and Englerastrum. In addition, some species formally placed in Plectranthus, are now recognized as the more distantly related genus Isodon.
Because of these taxonomic issues, different names have often been used for the same species of Plectranthus and thus it has been difficult to collate information about the ethnobotanical uses of this genus. Furthermore, the most commonly used medicinal species of Plectranthus have a high degree of synonymy[].
This report is very much indebted to the work of C.W. Lukhoba et al. - Journal of Ethnopharmacology 103 (2006) 1–24[] in untangling much of this mess of names, and utilizes the on-line Kew database ‘World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (http://wcsp.science.kew.org/home.do) for determining currently accepted names and synonyms (as of 2018).

Common Name:

General Information

Plectranthus bojeri is a very variable plant. An annual or short-lived perennial, it can have erect, ascending or decumbent stems (when it can produce roots at the leaf nodes), usually growing 10 - 100cm tall but occasionally reaching 200cm. It grows from a fleshy taproot that is sometimes said to be aromatic. The plant is sometimes described as succulent[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine.
The plant is widely distributed and is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Africa - Senegal to Ethiopia, south to the Congo, DR Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, S. Africa and Madagascar

Habitat

Forests, rocky slopes; at elevations up to 1,500 metres[]. Moist boulders, stream banks, moist dense forests, rainforests, remnants of ancient forest, roadsides; at elevations to 1,000 metres, occasionally to 1,900 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual/Perennial
Height	0.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant is used to treat snakebites[]. A decoction of the wholeplant, combined with Ocimum gratissimum, is drunk as a treatment for pneumonia[].
Children are bathed in a decoction of the whole plant in order to reduce fevers[].
The finely ground leaves are used for the treatment of conjunctivitis[]. They are applied as a dressing on wounds and abscesses[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow in well-drained soil, covering lightly with a thin layer of sand, and place in a warm but shaded spot. The seed germinates in about three weeks[].

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