Prostanthera baxteri

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Prostanthera baxteri
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Prostanthera
Species:
P. baxteri
Binomial name
Prostanthera baxteri
Prostanthera baxteriDistA8.png
Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms [1]
  • Prostanthera baxteriA.Cunn. ex Benth. var. baxteri
  • Prostanthera baxterivar. crassifolia Benth.

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.

Contents

Description

Prostanthera baxteri is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.3–1.3 m (1 ft 0 in–4 ft 3 in) with stems that usually appear white because of their dense covering of white hairs. The leaves are narrow egg-shaped to linear, light green, 5–15 mm (0.20–0.59 in) long, 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) wide and sessile. The flowers are arranged singly on the ends of branchlets in eight to fourteen leaf axils, each flower on a pedicel 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) long. The sepals are green with a maroon tinge and form a tube 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) long with two lobes, the lower lobe 3–4.5 mm (0.12–0.18 in) long and the upper lobe 1.5–3 mm (0.059–0.118 in) long. The petals are white with a tinge of blue to pale mauve, 10.5–13 mm (0.41–0.51 in) and fused to form a tube 4.5–7.5 mm (0.18–0.30 in) long. The lower lip has three lobes, the centre lobe spatula-shaped, 2.4–5.5 mm (0.094–0.217 in) long and 2–5.5 mm (0.079–0.217 in) wide and the side lobes 2–4.5 mm (0.079–0.177 in) long and 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) wide. The upper lip has two lobes 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long and about 2–6 mm (0.079–0.236 in) wide. Flowering occurs from August to November. [2] [3]

Taxonomy

Prostanthera baxteri was first formally described in 1834 by George Bentham in his book Labiatarum genera et species, from an unpublished description by Allan Cunningham. The type specimens were collected near King George Sound. [4] [5]

Distribution and habitat

This mintbush grows on granite outcrops, rocky places and sandplains in mallee and heath communities in the Esperance Plains and Mallee biogeographic regions in the south of Western Australia. [2] [3]

Conservation status

Prostanthera baxteri is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [3]

Related Research Articles

<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>

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>Prostanthera cryptandroides</i>

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 linearis</i>

Prostanthera linearis, commonly known as narrow-leaved mint-bush is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an erect, faintly aromatic shrub with glabrous, narrow egg-shaped to linear leaves and white flowers that are often tinged with pinkish-mauve.

<i>Prostanthera denticulata</i>

Prostanthera denticulata, commonly known as rough mint-bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a straggling to almost prostrate, aromatic shrub with narrow egg-shaped leaves and purple to mauve flowers arranged in leaf axils or on the ends of branchlets.

<i>Prostanthera incana</i>

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 saxicola</i>

Prostanthera saxicola is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with linear to elliptic leaves and white to mauve flowers arranged in leaf axils.

<i>Prostanthera althoferi</i>

Prostanthera althoferi is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to inland areas of Australia. It is an erect shrub with its stems and leaves densely covered with silvery, greyish-green hairs, and has narrow egg-shaped leaves and white to cream-coloured flowers with mauve or purple striations inside.

<i>Prostanthera ammophila</i>

Prostanthera ammophila, commonly known as sand mintbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to southern areas of South Australia. It is an erect to spreading shrub with egg-shaped to narrow elliptical leaves and white and purple to mauve flowers with yellow spots inside.

<i>Prostanthera behriana</i>

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 caerulea</i>

Prostanthera caerulea, commonly known as lilac mint bush, is a species of flowering plant that is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an erect shrub with narrow egg-shaped leaves that have toothed edges, and white to bluish mauve flowers arranged on the ends of branchlets.

<i>Prostanthera canaliculata</i>

Prostanthera canaliculata is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, erect shrub with hairy branchlets, narrow egg-shaped to narrow elliptical leaves and pale blue or pale violet to white flowers with no markings.

<i>Prostanthera chlorantha</i>

Prostanthera chlorantha, commonly known as green mintbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the south-east of South Australia. It is a small shrub with small, broadly egg-shaped to round leaves and mauve, bluish green, or greenish red to greenish yellow flowers with a pink tinge.

<i>Prostanthera grylloana</i>

Prostanthera grylloana is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small, erect shrub with densely hairy branchlets, small, spatula-shaped leaves and red to pink flowers.

<i>Prostanthera nanophylla</i>

Prostanthera nanophylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small shrub with hairy branches, egg-shaped to elliptic or narrow oblong leaves and mauve or blue to white flowers with dull brown, maroon or purple spots.

<i>Prostanthera rugosa</i>

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>Prostanthera semiteres</i>

Prostanthera semiteres is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small shrub with narrow egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and pink or red flowers.

<i>Prostanthera sericea</i>

Prostanthera sericea, commonly known as silky mintbush or walyuwalyu, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to inland Australia. It is an erect shrub with hairy branches, cylindrical leaves and white flowers with mauve or purple streaks.

<i>Prostanthera splendens</i>

Prostanthera splendens is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small, spreading shrub with small, densely glandular, egg-shaped leaves and mauve to light purple flowers, paler on the inside with mauve to reddish-brown dots.

References

  1. 1 2 "Prostanthera baxteri". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  2. 1 2 Conn, Barry J. (1988). "A taxonomic revision of Prostanthera Labill. Section Prostanthera (Labiatae). 1. The species of the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia". Nuytsia. 6 (3): 371–372. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 "Prostanthera baxteri". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  4. "Prostanthera baxteri". APNI. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  5. Bentham, George (1836). Labiatarum genera et species. pp. 452–453. Retrieved 22 August 2020.