Plectranthus ciliatus E.Mey. APNI* 
Description: Soft, creeping or straggling semi-succulent herb to c. 0.6 m tall. Pleasantly aromatic when crushed. Coloured multicellular sessile glands orange. Branches with orange sessile glands and sparsely pubescent with long forward pointing hairs and short stiff hairs, all hairs having a maroon-purple sap.
Leaves discolorous; racemose branch 15–35 mm long; lamina broadly ovate or broadly elliptic (rarely subrodund), (35–)40–80 mm long, 30–55 mm wide, apex acute to obtuse, base attenuate to abruptly cuneate, margin regularly and shallowly crenate with 8–14 pairs of teeth, thin-textured and smooth to thickish and rugose, both surfaces densely covered with honey-coloured sessile glands; upper surface sparingly hispid; lower surface strigose, veins distinctively raised, suffused with purple.
Inflorescence a panicle 60–200 mm long, sometimes with 1 pair of branches at the base; verticillasters 6-flowered. Pedicel 5–8 mm long. Calyx 4–5 mm long. Corolla whitish background densely speckled with purple on the inner surface off upper and lower lip, 12–15 mm long, tube 5–8 mm long, slightly deflexed and expanding in the calyx forming a saccate base, narrowing slightly towards the throat. Stamen up to 8 mm long. Style slightly exceeding the stamens.
Fruiting calyx accrescent, to 8–10 mm long.
Flowering: throughout year.
Distribution and occurrence: Cultivated in Australia. Native to south east Africa. Garden escape and recorded as naturalised Sydney. Grows along forest floors in shady places.
NSW subdivisions: *CC, *CT
Other Australian states: *Vic.
Text by T.C.Wilson (April 2026)
Taxon concept: Codd (1975)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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