Prostanthera eckersleyana

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Crinkly mintbush
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Prostanthera
Species:
P. eckersleyana
Binomial name
Prostanthera eckersleyana
Prostanthera eckersleyanaDistA30.png
Occurrence data from AVH

Prostanthera eckersleyana, commonly known as crinkly mintbush, [2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub with sticky, hairy branchlets, egg-shaped to elliptical leaves and blue, mauve to purple or violet flowers with maroon spots inside the petal tube.

Contents

Description

Prostanthera eckersleyana is an erect or spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.2–1 m (7.9 in–3 ft 3.4 in) and has cylindrical, sticky, hairy branchlets. The leaves are mid-green, egg-shaped to elliptical, aromatic and sticky, 7–10 mm (0.28–0.39 in) long and 3.5–8.5 mm (0.14–0.33 in) wide on a petiole 1–1.5 mm (0.039–0.059 in) long. The flowers are arranged singly in four to ten leaf axils near the ends of branchlets, each flower on a hairy pedicel 1.5–3.5 mm (0.059–0.138 in) long. The sepals are green with a mauve to purple tinge and form a tube 4.5–5.5 mm (0.18–0.22 in) long with two lobes, the lower lobe 3.5–4.5 mm (0.14–0.18 in) long and the upper lobe 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long. The petals are blue, mauve to purple or violet with maroon spots inside the tube, 15–24 mm (0.59–0.94 in) and fused to form a tube 14–18 mm (0.55–0.71 in) long with crinkled edges. The lower lip has three lobes, the centre lobe broadly spatula-shaped, 8–10 mm (0.31–0.39 in) long and 9–10 mm (0.35–0.39 in) wide, the side lobes 3.5–6.5 mm (0.14–0.26 in) long and 3–6.5 mm (0.12–0.26 in) wide. The upper lip is 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) long and 10–13 mm (0.39–0.51 in) wide with a notch 2.5–5 mm (0.098–0.197 in) deep. Flowering occurs from May to July or December. [2] [3]

Taxonomy

Prostanthera eckersleyana was first formally described in 1876 by Ferdinand von Mueller in his book Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae . [4] [5] The specific epithet (eckersleyana) honours Florence Eckersley. [5]

Distribution and habitat

This mintbush grows on plains, often with Melaleuca and Acacia species and occurs in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie and Yalgoo biographic regions of Western Australia. [2] [3]

Conservation status

Prostanthera eckersleyana is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [2]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Prostanthera ovalifolia</i>

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<i>Prostanthera phylicifolia</i>

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<i>Prostanthera magnifica</i>

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<i>Prostanthera walteri</i>

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

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<i>Prostanthera hirtula</i>

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<i>Prostanthera staurophylla</i>

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<i>Prostanthera prostantheroides</i>

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<i>Prostanthera junonis</i>

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 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 centralis</i> Species of plant

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<i>Prostanthera ferricola</i>

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<i>Prostanthera grylloana</i>

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<i>Prostanthera mulliganensis</i>

Prostanthera mulliganensis, commonly known as Mount Mulligan prostanthera, is a species of flowering plant that is endemic to Mount Mulligan in Queensland. It is a small shrub with hairy branchlets, oblong to egg-shaped leaves and mauve flowers with purple to dark mauve markings.

<i>Prostanthera nanophylla</i>

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<i>Prostanthera scutata</i>

Prostanthera scutata is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small, erect, compact shrub with densely hairy branches, elliptic to narrow elliptic leaves and pale blue or faintly violet 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 wilkieana</i> Species of plant

Prostanthera wilkieana is a species of flowering plant that is endemic to the more arid areas of Australia. It is an erect, densely-branched shrub with elliptic to narrow egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and mauve to pale violet or white flowers with deep purple streaks and yellowish brown dots inside the petal tube.

References

  1. "Prostanthera eckersleyana". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Prostanthera eckersleyana". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  3. 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): 363–364. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  4. "Prostanthera eckersleyana". APNI. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  5. 1 2 von Mueller, Ferdinand (1876). Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae. Melbourne: Victorian Government Printer. p. 17. Retrieved 30 August 2020.