''Prostanthera cineolifera'', commonly known as the Singleton mint bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family

Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory ...

and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

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.

Description

''Prostanthera cineolifera'' is an erect, strongly aromatic shrub that typically grows to a height of with hairy, glandular stems. The leaves are narrow egg-shaped, light green, long and wide on a petiole long. The flowers are arranged in clusters at the ends of the branchlets with bracteoles long that fall off as the flowers develop. The

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s are long and form a tube long with two lobes, the upper lobe long. The petals are pale mauve to dark purple-mauve, long, and fused to form a tube that is darker on the inside. Flowering occurs from September to October.

Taxonomy

''Prostanthera cineolifera'' was first formally described in 1912 by Richard Thomas Baker and

Henry George Smith Henry George Smith (26 July 1852 – 19 September 1924) was an Australian chemist whose pioneering work on the chemistry of the essential oils of the Australian flora achieved worldwide recognition. Smith was born at Littlebourne, Kent, Englan ...

in '' Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales''.

Distribution and habitat

Singleton mint bush has been observed in scattered localities in New South Wales including at Apsley Falls near Walcha, and at scattered places in the

Hunter Valley The Hunter Region, also commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney. It contains the Hunter River and its tributaries with highland areas to the north and so ...

. It grows in forest and woodland on exposed ridges.

Conservation status

This mintbush is classified as "vulnerable" under the Australian Government ''

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act The ''Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' (Cth) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that provides a framework for protection of the Australian environment, including its biodiversity and its natural and cultu ...

'' and the New South Wales Government '' Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016''. The main threats to the species include inappropriate fire regimes and its apparently small population size. File:Prostanthera cineolifera Broke.jpg, Broke, New South Wales File:Prostanthera cineolifera - 50302954241.jpg, Sawpit Road File:PA000002 Prostanthera cineolifera.jpg, Wingen Maid File:P8130210 Broke Prostanthera cineolifera.jpg, Broke, New South Wales

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15355450 cineolifera Flora of New South Wales Lamiales of Australia Taxa named by Richard Thomas Baker Taxa named by Henry George Smith Plants described in 1912 Endemic flora of Australia