Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng., Lamiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Coleus amboinicus Lour.; Salvia officinalis sensu J. W. Parham in Dept. Agr. Fiji Bull. 35

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Cuban oregano, Indian borage, Indian mint, Mexican mint, Mexican oregano, Spanish thyme, country borage, french thyme, soup mint

Fijian: rhaivoki, sage

French: oreille, ti baume

Niuean: pasiole

Samoan: militini

Spanish: orégano

Tongan: kaloni, pasiole

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Sprawling and somewhat succulent herb to 1 m high, sometimes subligneous and prostrate at base, the branchlets ascending, densely spreading-hirsute; leaves petiolate, the petioles 1-4.5 cm long, densely pubescent, the blades fleshy, broadly ovate to suborbicular, rhombic, or reniform, 4-10 x 3-9 cm, rounded to truncate and then often long-attenuate at base, obtuse to rounded at apex, coarsely crenate to dentate at margin or entire toward base, densely appressed-pubescent above and beneath; vericils 10-20 (or more)-flowered, subglobose, arranged in terminal, spicate, densely pubescent inflorescences 10-20 cm long, the bracts 3-4 mm long, the pedicels slender, hirsute, to 5 mm long; calyx campanulate, 1.5-4 mm long, hirsute and glandular, the upper lip erect, broadly ovate-oblong, the other teeth narrow, acute; corolla pale blue or mauve to pink, 8-12 mm long, the tube declinate, 3-4 mm long, expanding distally, pubescent without, the upper lip to 4.5 x 3 mm, erect, puberulent, the lower lip to 5-6 x 4 mm, concave; filaments of stamens mostly fused into a tube around style; nutlets smooth, pale brown, about 0.7 x 0.5 mm"  (Smith, 1991; pp. 226-227).

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, "from near sea level to about 250 m, cultivated and naturalized in rocky and sandy areas in woods and thickets" (Smith, 1991; pp. 226-227). In Tonga, "frequent as a waste-area and roadside weed" (Yuncker, 1959; p. 235).

Propagation:  Seed, rooting of stems.

Native range:  Not known but possibly southern tropical Africa, now widely cultivated (Smith, 1991; pp. 226-227).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Olosega Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1976) (voucher ID: BISH 430298) Taxon name on voucher: Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng.
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy (2010) (p. 18) Variegated leaf cultivar.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Taveuni Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (pp. 226-227)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (pp. 226-227) Vouchers cited: DA 16890, DA 11524
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1969) (voucher ID: BISH 34000) Taxon name on voucher: Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1958) (voucher ID: BISH 34003) Taxon name on voucher: Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1958) (voucher ID: BISH 698394) Taxon name on voucher: Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (pp. 226-227) Vouchers cited: Greenwood 734, DA 16757
Fiji Fiji Islands	Yasawas Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (pp. 226-227) Voucher cited: St. John 18080
Fiji Fiji Islands	Yasawas Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1937) (voucher ID: BISH 150529) Taxon name on voucher: Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng.
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Pou (Huapu, Uapou, Uapu) Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Pou (Huapu, Uapou, Uapu) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: L. Dunn 329 (PAP) Naturalized off the side off the road.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Naturalisée
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced cultivated	Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 101)
Nauru Nauru Island	Nauru Island	introduced cultivated	Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. (1994) (pp. 156-157) Voucher cited: Hassall 211 (SUVA)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 69) Voucher cited: MacKee 20950
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced cultivated	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 102) Uncommon. Vouchers cited: CHR 169917, CHR 169918, CHR 169919
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 82)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced cultivated	Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 418) Cultivated here and there for its aromatic leaves.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Savai‘i Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 70)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Savai‘i Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1931) (voucher ID: BISH 150539) Taxon name on voucher: Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Savai‘i Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1929) (voucher ID: BISH 150540) Taxon name on voucher: Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng.
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	introduced invasive cultivated	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 59)
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Lifuka Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 235) Voucher cited: Yuncker 15797
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Lifuka Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1953) (voucher ID: BISH 150541) Taxon name on voucher: Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng.
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Nomuka Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 235) Voucher cited: Yuncker 15861
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Nomuka Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1953) (voucher ID: BISH 150542) Taxon name on voucher: Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng.
Tonga Tonga Islands	Tonga Islands		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 235) "Frequent throughout Tonga".
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 55)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 235) Vouchers cited: Setchell & Parks 15414, Yuncker 15232
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Midway Atoll	Sand Island	introduced cultivated	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd (2008) (pp. B-12)
Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna (Horne) Islands	Futuna Island	introduced cultivated	Morat, Ph./Veillon, J.-M. (1985) Morat & Veillon, 1985, cited in Meyer, 2007

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Lavergne, Christophe (2006) "Cultivé/±envahissant"
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Comments:  Invasive in the Virgin Islands where it forms dense carpets in shaded dry forest. (Fred Kraus, communication to Aliens listserver)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Plectranthus amboinicus, please let us know.