Talk:Coleus barbatus

I can't find any reference that Coleus forskohlii is a synonym of Plectranthus barbatus. In fact I can't find Plectranthus barbatus in http://www.itis.gov or http://www.catalogueoflife.org either. Looking at http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub/xsql/duke/plantdisp.xsql?taxon=294 it actually says it is the other way round. Plectranthus barbatus is a synonym of Coleus forskohlii 58.96.114.192 (talk) 07:24, 23 October 2010 (UTC)msjs08 g mail com58.96.114.192 (talk) 07:24, 23 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

There are variant spellings of forsskaolii. Some scholars prefer the name and spelling Coleus forskohlii. See: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-19-6521-0_2

Much of the botanical literature and pharmacology literature uses the epithet Coleus forskohlii. https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/12/3712

World Flora Online has three synonyms for Plectranthus barbatus:

Coleus barbatus (Andrews) Benth. ex G.Don

Coleus forsskaolii var. adoensis Briq.

Coleus penzigii Schweinf. ex Penz.

See: http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000275252

The text in the lead seems too strong regarding Coleus forsskaolii (or other spellings) as being in error. sbelknap (talk) 18:30, 15 November 2022 (UTC)[reply]

World Flora Online is largely derived from the obsolete The Plant List, and is not a reliable source for up to date taxonomy.

The opening paragraph is an accurate summary of the very well sourced Taxonomy section. Plants of the World Online, which is the best single source for accepted plant taxonomy (although not, of course, always right), says that the name Coleus forskalaei Briq. is a synonym of Coleus hadiensis (see [1]). As per the entry here, the name, in different spellings, has been used for Coleus barbatus var. barbatus "sensu auctorum" (in the sense of various authors, i.e. wrongly).

See also this entry in The International Plant Names Index, the most definitive source for plant names.

So all the reliable taxonomic sources are clear that (1) the fors...i names, whatever their spelling, are illegitimate (2) they are synonyms of Ocimum hadiense Forssk., the basionym of Coleus hadiensis (Forssk.) A.J.Paton. Extra refs can be added to the Taxonomy section.

We can certainly also add that the pharmacology literature, like the older botanical literature, continues to use the name wrongly. Peter coxhead (talk) 23:26, 15 November 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks! Is the International Plant Names Index considered a reliable source by botanists? I notice that some botanists seem to use the Coleus forsi… epithets in *recent* published peer-reviewed literature. I've not seen this so often with other medicinal plants. sbelknap (talk) 05:35, 16 November 2022 (UTC)[reply]

The International Plant Names Index (IPNI) is generally regarded as the standard database for the legitimacy of names – it doesn't attempt to say which are currently accepted where there are equally legitimate synonyms. Tropicos is also pretty good on taxonomy; it agrees here that the sourced accepted name of Coleus forsskaolii (two s's) is Coleus hadiensis. The underlying primary source is the Paton et al. (2019) monograph at doi:10.3897/phytokeys.129.34988, which made major revisions to Coleus and Plectranthus; search for "forskalaei" (one s). Peter coxhead (talk) 10:15, 16 November 2022 (UTC)[reply]

"Muscules" ?

I'm assuming that the reference to "heart muscules" in the introduction is a typo, but I'm leaving it as is for now, in case that is just a term that I am not familiar with. Ricklaman (talk) 08:59, 8 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Move Ayurveda section?

The section about Ayurvedic uses only references the genus, not this species. Shouldn't it be moved to the Coleus genus article then? ~ 2601:441:4400:1740:DD59:315E:EFF5:B3C4 (talk) 00:03, 21 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Use leaves as toilet paper

I just saw a video of a guy who grows this plant to use the leaves as toilet paper. (I tried to link it but couldn't) 2806:104E:C:3A71:34D4:78B6:3478:F03E (talk) 02:16, 24 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]