Prostanthera aspalathoides

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Scarlet mint-bush
Prostanthera aspalathoides 'Bright Spark'.jpg
In Maranoa Gardens
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Prostanthera
Species:
P. aspalathoides
Binomial name
Prostanthera aspalathoides
Prostanthera aspalathoidesDistA7.png
Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms [1]
  • Prostanthera coccinea var. aspalathoides(A.Cunn. ex Benth.) Maiden & Betche,
  • Prostanthera eriocalyx Gand.
  • Prostanthera patulaGand.
  • Prostanthera coccineaauct. non F.Muell.: Mueller, F.J.H. von (1868)

Prostanthera aspalathoides, commonly known as scarlet mint-bush, [2] is a species of flowering plant that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a small shrub with hairy branches, cylindrical or linear to elliptic or oblong leaves and red, pinkish red, or orange flowers arranged singly in leaf axils.

Contents

Description

Prostanthera aspalathoides is a compact, upright shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.3–1 m (1 ft 0 in – 3 ft 3 in) and has densely hairy, glandular branchlets. The aromatic leaves are cylindrical to linear-elliptic in shape, 1.5–6 mm (0.059–0.236 in) long, 0.5–1 mm (0.020–0.039 in) wide and sessile or on a petiole up to 0.5 mm (0.020 in) long. The flowers are arranged singly in leaf axils with bracteoles 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long at the base. The sepals are 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) long and joined at the base to form a tube 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long. The petals are 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) long forming a red, pinkish red, orange or rarely yellow tube 8–11 mm (0.31–0.43 in) long. Flowering mainly occurs in spring but flowers may be present in most months. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Taxonomy and naming

Prostanthera aspalathoides was first formally described in 1834 by George Bentham in his book Labiatarum genera et species, from an unpublished description by Allan Cunningham who collected the type specimens near the Lachlan River. [7] [8] The specific epithet alludes to a similarity to plants of the genus Aspalathus . [9]

Distribution and habitat

Scarlet mint bush grows in mallee and occurs in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. It is found west from the Rankins Springs district in New South Wales, in the northern half of Victoria and in the south-east of South Australia, including the Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas and Kangaroo Island. [2] [5] [6]

Uses

Use in horticulture

Prosthanthera aspalthioides is best adapted to cultivation in dry conditions with low humidity. Plants prefer a position in full sun or partial shade with good drainage and withstand moderate frost. [4] [9] Cuttings are the preferred propagation method, as seed germinates slowly. Plants may also be grafted on roostocks of the hardier species Prostanthera nivea . [9]

Fragrant oil

Tests to extract cineole (also known as eucalyptol), a fragrant oil found in Prostanthera were conducted over 100 years ago by Joseph Bosisto an industrial chemist and oil distiller. Later tests on Prostanthera aspalathoides produced an oil yield of 2-3%. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Prostanthera calycina</i> Species of plant

Prostanthera calycina, the West Coast mintbush, limestone mintbush or red mintbush, is a species of flowering plant that is endemic to the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. It is a small, more or less prostrate shrub with aromatic, elliptic to oblong leaves and red flowers.

<i>Prostanthera eurybioides</i> Species of plant

Prostanthera eurybioides, commonly known as Monarto mintbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the south-east of South Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with densely hairy branches, thick, elliptic to egg-shaped leaves clustered on short shoots, and violet to mid-purple flowers that are white with orange and dark purple dots inside the petal tube.

<i>Prostanthera nivea</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera nivea, commonly known as snowy mint-bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with linear to cylindrical leaves and white flowers arranged in leaf axils near the ends of branchlets and is one of the mint-bushes that is not aromatic.

<i>Prostanthera cuneata</i> Species of plant

Prostanthera cuneata, commonly known as alpine mint bush, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, and is endemic to mountainous areas of south-eastern continental Australia. It is an erect, compact shrub with egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and pale lavendar to almost white flowers with purple blotches.

<i>Pultenaea juniperina</i> Species of legume

Pultenaea juniperina, commonly known as prickly bush-pea or prickly beauty is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect, spiky shrub with hairy stems, linear to narrow elliptic leaves with stipules at the base, and yellow-orange and red flowers.

<i>Prostanthera cryptandroides</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera cryptandroides is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with narrow egg-shaped leaves and lilac to mauve flowers arranged singly in leaf axils.

<i>Prostanthera walteri</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera walteri, commonly known as blotchy mint-bush, is a species of flowering plant that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a sprawling shrub with tangled, hairy branches, egg-shaped leaves and usually bluish green flowers with prominent purple veins arranged singly in leaf axils.

<i>Prostanthera monticola</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera monticola, commonly known as Buffalo mint-bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to higher areas of south-eastern Australia. It is a sprawling, open shrub with red, hairy branches, lance-shaped to narrow elliptic leaves and pale bluish-green to grey-green flowers with dark purple-blue veins.

<i>Prostanthera hirtula</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera hirtula, commonly known as hairy mintbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the south-eastern continental Australia. It is a strongly aromatic, densely hairy, spreading shrub with narrow egg-shaped leaves and dark mauve flowers, and that grows in exposed, rocky sites.

<i>Prostanthera incana</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera incana, commonly known as velvet mint-bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is an erect, moderately dense shrub with egg-shaped leaves, and lilac-coloured flowers, found mostly in near-coastal southern New South Wales.

<i>Prostanthera serpyllifolia</i> Species of plant

Prostanthera serpyllifolia, commonly known as small-leaved mint-bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to southern Australia. It is a small shrub with small egg-shaped leaves and bright pink to red or metallic bluish-green flowers.

<i>Persoonia brevifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Persoonia brevifolia is a plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to a restricted area near the border between south-eastern New South Wales and Victoria. It is an erect shrub with elliptic to egg-shaped leaves and cylindrical yellow flowers arranged singly in leaf axils.

Prostanthera athertoniana is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of Queensland. It is a small, densely-foliaged shrub with strongly aromatic, elliptical, oblong or egg-shaped leaves and hairy, purplish-mauve flowers arranged singly in upper leaf axils.

<i>Prostanthera baxteri</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera baxteri is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the south-east of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with narrow egg-shaped to linear leaves and white flowers with a tinge of blue to pale mauve.

<i>Prostanthera behriana</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera behriana, commonly known as tall mintbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the south-east of South Australia. It is an erect to straggling shrub with egg-shaped leaves and white, pale blue, pale violet or purplish white flowers with red-brown spots or purple streaks inside.

<i>Prostanthera carrickiana</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera carrickiana, commonly known as Carrick's mintbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to a restricted area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with hairy branchlets, elliptical leaves pinkish-red flowers.

<i>Prostanthera ringens</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera ringens, commonly known as gaping mint-bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a bushy shrub with four-sided, hairy, densely glandular branches, oblong or egg-shaped leaves and pale blue to greenish or yellow flowers arranged singly in leaf axils.

<i>Prostanthera rugosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera rugosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of New South Wales. It is an openly-branched shrub with egg-shaped or narrow egg-shaped, thick, fleshy leaves and mauve flowers with a white tinge arranged in leaf axils near the ends of branchlets.

<i>Goodenia benthamiana</i> Species of plant

Goodenia benthamiana, commonly known as small-leaf goodenia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an aromatic undershrub with stem-clasping, egg-shaped to elliptic leaves with toothed edges, and yellow flowers arranged singly or in groups of up to three in leaf axils, with leaf-like bracteoles at the base.

<i>Gompholobium aspalathoides</i> Species of flowering plant

Gompholobium aspalathoides is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an erect, more or less glabrous shrub with trifoliate leaves with linear to narrow elliptic leaflets, and yellow pea-like flowers.

References

  1. 1 2 "Prostanthera aspalathoides". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Prostanthera aspalathoides". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  3. 1 2 Althofer, George (1978). Cradle of Incense. ISBN   0909830134.
  4. 1 2 Greig, D. (1987). The Australian Gardener's Wildflower Catalogue. Australia: Angus & Robertson. ISBN   0207154600.
  5. 1 2 Conn, Barry J. "Prostanthera aspalathoides". Royal Botanic Gardens, Victoria. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Prostanthera aspalathoides". State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  7. "Prostanthera aspalathoides". APNI. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  8. Bentham, George (1836). Labiatarum genera et species. pp. 453–454. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 "Prostanthera aspalathoides". Australian Native Plants Society (Australia). Retrieved 12 May 2020.