Prostanthera nivea

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Snowy mint-bush
Prostanthera nivea (2).jpg
Prostanthera nivea var. nivea in Girraween National Park
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Prostanthera
Species:
P. nivea
Binomial name
Prostanthera nivea
Prostanthera niveaDistA61.png
Occurrence data from AVH
Habit Prostanthera nivea habit.jpg
Habit
Prostanthera nivea var. induta Prostanthera nivea flower.jpg
Prostanthera nivea var. induta

Prostanthera nivea, commonly known as snowy mint-bush, [2] 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.

Contents

Description

Prostanthera nivea is an erect or spreading shrub that grows to a height of 1–4 m (3 ft 3 in – 13 ft 1 in) with four-ridged branches but is not aromatic. The leaves are linear to more or less cylindrical, 10–50 mm (0.39–1.97 in) long and 0.5–2 mm (0.020–0.079 in) wide and sessile. The flowers are arranged in leaf axils near the ends of branches with bracteoles that are inconspicuous or up to 4 mm (0.16 in) long at the base. The sepals are 6–8 mm (0.24–0.31 in) long forming a tube 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long with two lobes, the upper lobe 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long. The petals are white to mauve, 14–18 mm (0.55–0.71 in) long with yellow spots inside the tube. Flowering occurs from September to December. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy

Prostanthera nivea was first formally described in 1834 by George Bentham from an unpublished description by Alan Cunningham. Bentham's description was published in his book Labiatarum Genera et Species. [5] [6]

Bentham described two varieties and the names are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

Distribution and habitat

Snowy mint-bush grows in forest, woodland and heath in south-eastern Queensland, eastern New South Wales and Victoria. Subspecies induta grows in rocky crevices or on ledges in the Warrumbungles with a single collection from the Pilliga forest. [2] [3] [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Prostanthera</i> Genus of plants

Prostanthera, commonly known as mintbush or mint bush, is a genus of about 100 species of flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae, and all are endemic to Australia. Plants are usually shrubs, rarely trees with leaves in opposite pairs. The flowers are arranged in panicles in the leaf axils or on the ends of branchlets. The sepals are joined at the base with two lobes. The petals are usually blue to purple or white, joined in a tube with two "lips", the lower lip with three lobes and the upper lip with two lobes or notched.

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

Prostanthera incisa, commonly known as cut-leaf mint-bush or native thyme, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is an erect, strongly aromatic, openly branched shrub with hairy, densely glandular branches, egg-shaped to oblong leaves, and pale mauve to mauve flowers.

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

Prostanthera rotundifolia, commonly known as round-leaved mintbush or round-leaf mint-bush is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect shrub with aromatic branches covered with short hairs and glands, egg-shaped to more or less round leaves and purple to mauve or pinkish flowers on the ends of branchlets.

<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 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 linearis</i> Species of flowering plant

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 aspalathoides</i> Species of plant

Prostanthera aspalathoides, commonly known as scarlet mint-bush, 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.

<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 rhombea</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera rhombea, commonly known as sparkling mint-bush, is a plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to disjunct areas of south-eastern Australia. It is an openly-branched shrub with strongly aromatic branches, circular to heart-shaped leaves and mauve or bluish flowers.

<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 saxicola</i> Species of flowering plant

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 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>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 caerulea</i> Species of flowering plant

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 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 granitica</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera granitica, commonly known as the granite mintbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a spreading shrub with egg-shaped leaves with the edges rolled under, and purple to violet 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.

References

  1. "Prostanthera nivea". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Conn, Barry J. "Prostanthera nivea". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  3. 1 2 Conn, Barry J. "Prostanthera nivea var. nivea Snowy Mint-bush". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  4. Bentham, George; von Mueller, Ferdinand (1870). Flora Australiensis. London: Lovell Reeve & Co. p. 103. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  5. "Prostanthera nivea". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  6. Bentham, George (1834). Labiatarum Genera et Species. London: James Ridgway & Sons. p. 452. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  7. "Prostanthera nivea var. induta". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  8. "Prostanthera nivea var. nivea". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  9. Conn, Barry J. "Prostanthera nivea var. induta Benth". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 14 September 2020.