Prostanthera phylicifolia

Last updated

Spiked mint-bush
Prost.phylicifolia-atlas-wood-1.jpg
In Deua National Park
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. phylicifolia
Binomial name
Prostanthera phylicifolia
Prostanthera phylicifolia occurrences AVH 14112020.jpg
Occurrence data from AVH

Prostanthera phylicifolia, commonly known as spiked mint-bush, [2] is a species of plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is an erect shrub with four-ridged branches, narrow egg-shaped to oval leaves and white or pale lilac-coloured flowers with purple and yellow spots.

Contents

Description

Prostanthera phylicifolia is an erect, compact to spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.5–2 m (1 ft 8 in – 6 ft 7 in) and has four-ridged, slightly aromatic branches. The leaves are narrow egg-shaped to oval, 5–15 mm (0.20–0.59 in) long and 1.5–4 mm (0.059–0.157 in) wide on a petiole up to 1 mm (0.039 in) long. The flowers are arranged near the ends of the branchlets with bracteoles 2.5 mm (0.098 in) long at the base. The sepals are 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long forming a tube 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long with two lobes, the upper lobe 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) long. The petals are 12–15 mm (0.47–0.59 in) long and white to pale lilac with purple spots inside the tube and yellow spots on the lower lobe. [2] [3]

Taxonomy

Prostanthera phylicifolia was first formally described by Victorian Government botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in 1858 in his book Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae from material collected from "Mt McFarlane" (now Macfarlane’s Lookout) near Omeo in northern Victoria and the “Maneroo” (present-day Monaro) region of New South Wales. [4] [5] [6]

George Bentham's 1870 revision of the genus Prostanthera broadened the species' circumscription, by citing specimens from the New England region of New South Wales and the Glass House Mountains, Queensland, in addition to the Victorian type locality. [7] Bentham’s broad circumscription subsequently caused taxonomic confusion, and populations from northern New South Wales and southern Queensland were variously identified as either P. phylicifolia or P. scutellarioides , despite considerable morphological differences between them. Molecular phylogenetic studies later confirmed Bentham's circumscription as erroneous, demonstrating that P. phylicifolia is restricted to localities cited in the original description, while populations from northern New South Wales and Queensland are more closely allied to P. scutellarioides. [6] The species was lectotypified in 2023 to restrict application of the name P. phylicifolia to populations in southern New South Wales and Victoria, as described in Mueller's original description. [8]

Evolutionary relationships

Molecular studies have demonstrated that P. phylicifolia is closely related to Prostanthera gilesii and Prostanthera volucris , [6] [8] the latter published in 2023 and accepted by the International Plant Name Index [9] and by Plants of the World Online [10] as of June 2024.

Distribution and habitat

This species occurs on hillsides and granite outcrops in heath and woodland in south-eastern New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and north-eastern Victoria. [2]

Use in horticulture

Prostanthera 'Poorinda Snow Queen' and 'Poorinda Ballerina', hybrid crosses of P. lasianthos and P. phylicifolia, are cultivated. [11] [12]

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 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>Leionema elatius</i> Species of flowering plant

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<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 decussata</i> Species of plant

Prostanthera decussata, commonly known as dense mintbush, species of flowering plant that is endemic south-eastern Australia. It is a dense, compact, strongly aromatic shrub with egg-shaped leaves and mauve to violet flowers with yellow streaks, arranged in leaf axils near 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 prostantheroides</i> Species of shrub

Prostanthera prostantheroides is a plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with heart-shaped to round leaves and usually white flowers with purple spots inside the petal tube.

<i>Hemiphora elderi</i> Species of flowering plant

Hemiphora elderi, commonly known as red velvet, is a flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with its leaves densely covered with white, woolly hairs and with small clusters of reddish-purple, bell-shaped flowers.

<i>Pityrodia hemigenioides</i> Species of flowering plant

Pityrodia hemigenioides is a flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with densely hairy branches and leaves, and pale white flowers near the ends of the branches.

<i>Quoya verbascina</i> Species of flowering plant

Quoya verbascina, commonly known as golden bush, is a flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with its branches and leaves densely covered with woolly hairs. The leaves are often oblong but very variable in shape and the flowers are pinkish-white with pink spots inside and are surrounded by yellow woolly sepals.

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

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 eckersleyana</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera eckersleyana, commonly known as crinkly mintbush, 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.

<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 grylloana</i> Species of flowering plant

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 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.

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

Prostanthera lithospermoides is a tall, spreading shrub with white or pale mauve flowers. It is found in New South Wales and Queensland.

<i>Dicrastylis lewellinii</i> Species of flowering plant

Dicrastylis lewellinii is a species of plant within the genus, Dicrastylis, in the family Lamiaceae. It is found in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.

<i>Styphelia strongylophylla</i> Species of plant

Styphelia strongylophylla is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with crowded egg-shaped or round leaves and white, tube-shaped flower arranged singly or in pairs in leaf axils.

References

  1. "Prostanthera phylicifolia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Conn, Barry J. "Prostanthera phylicifolia". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  3. "Prostanthera phylicifolia". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 2009-12-08.
  4. "Prostanthera phylicifolia". APNI. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  5. von Mueller, Ferdinand (1858). Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae. Vol. 1. Melbourne: Victorian Government Printer. p. 19. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 O'Donnell, Ryan P.; Wilson, Tevor C.; Andrew, Rose L.; Telford, Ian R.H.; Taseski, Guy M.; Zimmer, Heidi; Bruhl, Jeremy J. (26 November 2021). "Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the Prostanthera phylicifolia (Lamiaceae) assemblage resolves relationships of the 'Critically Endangered' P. gilesii and other putative new species". Telopea. 24: 359–376. doi: 10.7751/telopea15561 . Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  7. Bentham, George (1870). Flora Australiensis. Vol. 5. London: Lovell Reeve & Co. p. 100. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  8. 1 2 O'Donnell, R.P.; Bruhl, J.J.; Telford, I.R.H.; Wilson, T.C.; Zimmer, H.C.; Taseski, G.M.; Andrew, R.L. (2023-02-08). "Molecular and morphological analyses support recognition of Prostanthera volucris (Lamiaceae), a new species from the Central Tablelands of New South Wales". Australian Systematic Botany. 36 (1): 1–20. doi: 10.1071/SB22017 .
  9. "Prostanthera volucris". International Plant Name Index. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  10. "Plants of the World Online". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  11. "Prostanthera 'Poorinda Snow Queen'". RHS Horticultural Databse. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  12. Greig, D. (1987). The Australian Gardener's Wildflower Catalogue. Australia: Angus & Robertson. ISBN   0207154600.