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 sylvestris is a perennial plant with erect to scandent, branched stems that often become more or less woody; it can grow 50 - 300cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine
A widely distributed plant, it is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Tropical Africa - Nigeria, Cameroon, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Madagascar

Habitat

Montane forest, often in bamboo or Hagenia zones; at elevations from 1,700 - 3,300 metres, sometimes descending to 1,250 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant is aromatic[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant is used in the treatment of digestive disorders, infections and fevers, pain and skin complaints[].
It is used in the treatment of malaria[].

An extract of the plant is used to treat chest pain[].
The leaf sap, combined with decoctions of Senna didymototrya and Clerodendron johnsonii, it is drunk as a remedy for headache and abdominal pain[].

An essential oil obtained from the plant is used to treat skin diseases[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is used as a hedge, fence or boundary marker[].

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[].
Cuttings of Plectranthus species generally root easily - soft tips root faster than semi-hardwood growth. The cuttings are best taken 60 - 100mm long with three or four nodes, making the cut just below a node. Place them in sand, perlite, vermiculite or peat, or any mixture of these, keep them moist and shaded and they should root in 2 - 3 weeks[]

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