Plectranthus monostachyus

Family: Lamiaceae

What it is like

An annual herb. It is erect and branched. It grows 1 m tall. The stems are 4 angled. They have short hairs. The leaves are simple and opposite. They are 5-9 cm long by 3-6 cm wide. They are wedge shaped at the base and taper to a short tip. The flowers are in groups at the top. It has long flower arrangements of violet flowers. The fruit is made up of 4 nutlets. These are 1 mm across. There are 4 subspecies.

There are about 60 Solenostemon species. They grow in the tropics. Some Solenostemon were included in Plectranthus.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in rocky savannah in West Africa.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, West Africa

How it is used for food

The leaves are cooked and eaten as a potherb.

It is a minor vegetable.

Edible parts

Leaves, vegetable, tuber, root

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Sisiworodo

Synonyms

Coleus africanus Benth.; Ocimum monostachyum P. Beauv.; Solenostemon africanus Briq.; Solenostemon ocymoides Schum. & Thonn.; Solenostemon monostachyus (P. Beauv.) Briq.;