Prostanthera densa

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Villous mint-bush
Prostanthera densa flower close up.jpg
In Mount Annan Botanic Garden
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. densa
Binomial name
Prostanthera densa
Prostanthera densaDistA27.png
Occurrence data from AVH

Prostanthera densa, commonly known as villous mint-bush, [2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to near-coastal areas of New South Wales. It is an erect, often compact shrub with aromatic branches, egg-shaped leaves, and mauve flowers with orange markings inside.

Contents

Description

Prostanthera densa is an erect, aromatic, often compact shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.5–2 m (1 ft 8 in – 6 ft 7 in) and has hairy branches. The leaves are egg-shaped to triangular, usually hairy, 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 in) long and 7–12 mm (0.28–0.47 in) wide on a petiole 1–1.5 mm (0.039–0.059 in) long. The flowers are arranged singly in two to ten of the upper leaf axils with bracteoles about 5 mm (0.20 in) long at the base. The sepals are hairy, sometimes tinged with purple, 6.5–8 mm (0.26–0.31 in) long and form a tube about 4 mm (0.16 in) wide with two lobes, the upper lobe 3–3.5 mm (0.12–0.14 in) long. The petals are pale mauve to mauve with orange and white markings, 12–15 mm (0.47–0.59 in) long, forming a tube 6–8 mm (0.24–0.31 in) long. The lower central lobe is 6.5–10 mm (0.26–0.39 in) long, the lower side lobes 2.5–5 mm (0.098–0.197 in) long and the upper lobes 3–4.5 mm (0.12–0.18 in) long and fused with a central notch 1.5–2 mm (0.059–0.079 in) long. There are a few flowers throughout the year, peaking in spring. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy and naming

Prostanthera densa was first formally described in 1920 by Arthur Andrew Hamilton in Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales . [6] [7]

Distribution and habitat

Villous mint-bush grows in forest and shrubland on the coast and nearby ranges between Nelson Bay and the Beecroft Peninsula. [3] [8]

Conservation status

This mintbush is listed as "vulnerable" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the New South Wales Government Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 . The main threats to the species include land clearing for urban development, dieback caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi , dumping of garden refuse, weed invasion and disturbance by recreational users. [2] [5]

Related Research Articles

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

Prostanthera melissifolia, commonly known as balm mint bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect shrub with hairy branches, egg-shaped leaves with fine teeth on the edges and mauve to purple or pink flowers on the ends of branchlets.

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

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

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

Prostanthera stenophylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to Wollemi National Park in New South Wales. It is an erect, slender, aromatic shrub with hairy, oblong leaves and small groups of pale bluish mauve to violet flowers.

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

Prostanthera arapilensis is a flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to a small area of Victoria, Australia. It is an erect shrub with hairy branches, broadly egg-shaped to more or less round leaves and pale mauve or white flowers with orange-brown spots or streaks inside the petal tube.

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

Prostanthera marifolia, commonly known as Seaforth mintbush, is a species of flowering plant that is endemic to a restricted area of New South Wales. It is a small, erect, openly branched shrub with egg-shaped to elliptic leaves, and purple to mauve flowers arranged in leaf axils.

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

Prostanthera denticulata, commonly known as rough mint-bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to coastal New South Wales. 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 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 staurophylla</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera staurophylla, commonly known as Tenterfield mint-bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to a small area on the New England Tableland of New South Wales. It is an erect to spreading, strongly aromatic shrub with hairy branches, deeply lobed leaves and bluish-mauve flowers with darker markings.

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

Prostanthera junonis, commonly known as Somersby mintbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the Central Coast of New South Wales. It is a low, straggling shrub with hairy, egg-shaped leaves and purple to mauve flowers.

<i>Prostanthera askania</i> Species of shrub

Prostanthera askania, commonly known as tranquility mintbush, is a shrub that is endemic to Australia. It has mostly pale mauve flowers, strongly scented leaves and branches, dull green, toothed egg-shaped leaves and a restricted distribution.

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 cineolifera</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera cineolifera, commonly known as the Singleton mint bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to eastern New South Wales. It is an erect shrub with hairy branches, narrow egg-shaped leaves and clusters of pale mauve to dark purple-mauve flowers arranged on the ends of branchlets.

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

Prostanthera discolor is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It is an open, erect, strongly aromatic shrub with lance-shaped to oblong leaves, and deep mauve to purple flowers with darker spots inside.

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

Prostanthera gilesii is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the Mount Canobolas area of New South Wales. It is a small, compact, spreading shrub with aromatic, narrow egg-shaped to elliptical leaves, and white to yellowish white flowers with purple to dark mauve markings inside the petal tube and pale orange markings on the petal lobes.

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

Prostanthera makinsonii is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of New South Wales. It is a spreading shrub with strongly aromatic, egg-shaped leaves and mostly glabrous purple flowers arranged in bunches of eight to twelve in upper leaf axils.

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

Prostanthera palustris, commonly known as swamp mint-bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of New South Wales. It is a low, spreading, weak shrub with spatula-shaped leaves and pale mauve and white flowers with yellow spots in the petal tube.

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

Prostanthera stricta, commonly known as Mount Vincent mint bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It is an bushy, erect, spreading shrub with egg-shaped leaves and mauve flowers with darker spots inside.

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

Prostanthera violacea, commonly known as violet mint-bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to south-eastern New South Wales. It is a slender, strongly aromatic shrub with densely hairy branches, more or less round leaves with the edges rolled under and mauve to bluish flowers often with white tips.

References

  1. ↑ "Prostanthera densa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Villous mint-bush - profile". New South Wales Government Office of Environment and Heritage. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  3. 1 2 Conn, Barry J. "Prostanthera densa". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  4. ↑ Conn, Barry J.; Wilson, Trevor C.; Henwood, Murray J.; Proft, Kirstin (1 November 2013). "Circumscription and phylogenetic relationships of Prostanthera densa and P. marifolia (Lamiaceae)". Telopea. 15: 157–159. doi: 10.7751/telopea2013019 .
  5. 1 2 "Approved Conservation Advice for Prostanthera densa (Villous Mintbush)" (PDF). Australian Government Department of the Environment. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  6. ↑ "Prostanthera densa". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  7. ↑ Hamilton, Arthur A. (1920). "Notes from the Botanic Gardens, Sydney". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 45 (2): 263. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.19545 . Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  8. ↑ "Prostanthera densa". The Australian Botanic Garden, Mount Annan. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
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