Plectranthus caninus

Roth

Dogbane

Lamiaceae Potential hazards — see below

iNaturalist · cc-by-sa
(c) Andrew Hankey, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant.

Africa, Asia, Australia, Egypt, Indonesia, North Africa, SE Asia,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Angola, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Brunei, Bhutan, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, China, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Comoros, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Myanmar, Mongolia, Mauritania, Mauritius, Maldives, Malawi, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Singapore, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Syria, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Taiwan, Tanzania, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A tropical herbaceous plant in the Lamiaceae family, commonly known as Dogbane, that is propagated from cuttings.

How to Grow

It is grown from cuttings

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.

Medicinal Uses

The plant is diuretic. It is used in the treatment of teeth and gum disorders. Extracts of the root are used as a treatment for coughs. The plant has cytotoxic and anti-tumour promoting activity and can be used in the treatment of cancer.

Other Uses

The leaves are used as a snuff - a habit that can become addictive. The succulent leaves are used by nursing mothers to clean their breasts after a journey.

Names & Synonyms

Coleus caninus (Roth) VatkeColeus flavovirens GurkeColeus heynei Benth.Coleus omahekensis DinterColeus pachyphyllus GurkeColeus spicatus Benth.Coleus spicatus var. rondinella Spreng.Germanea crassifolia Poir.Majana canina (Roth) KuntzeMajana spicata (Benth.) KuntzeOcimum monadelphum R. Br. ex RothPlectranthus monadelphus (R. Br. ex Roth) Buch.-Ham. ex Wall.

References (2)

Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 211 (As Coleus spicatus)
Recher, P, 2001, Fruit Spirit Botanical Gardens Plant Index. www.nrg.com.au/~recher/ seedlist.html p 1 (As Coleus caninus)