Prostanthera aspalathoides 'Bright Spark'

''Prostanthera'', commonly known as mintbush or mint bush, is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of about 100 species of flowering plants in the mint

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Lamiaceae, and all are

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 else ...

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

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 coine ...

s 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.

Description

Plants in the genus ''Prostanthera'' are usually shrubs or subshrubs, rarely trees, with leaves arranged in opposite pairs. The flowers are arranged in panicles in leaf axils or on the ends of branchlets with bracts and

bracteoles In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or o ...

at the base. The sepals are joined at the base but with two lobes. The petals form a tube with two lips, the lower lip with three, usually spreading lobes and the upper lip with two lobes or a notch at the tip. The petal tube is bluish purple to white or more or less red. There are four stamens, the anthers often with a small appendage. The ovary has four lobes and the tip of the stigma has two branches.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Prostanthera'' was first formally described in 1806 by

Jacques Labillardière Jacques-Julien Houtou de Labillardière (28 October 1755 – 8 January 1834) was a French biologist noted for his descriptions of the flora of Australia. Labillardière was a member of a voyage in search of the La Pérouse expedition. He pub ...

in his book ''

Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen ''Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen'' is a two-volume work describing the flora of Australia. Facsimiles of the originals can be found in the onlinBiodiversity Heritage Library (Vol.1)anVol 2) The author was the French botanist Jacques Labillar ...

'' and the first species he described was ''

Prostanthera lasianthos ''Prostanthera lasianthos'', commonly known as the Victorian Christmas bush or coranderrk , is a large shrub or small tree of the mint family, Lamiaceae, which is native to Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania in Australia. It gro ...

''. The word is derived from the Greek for an appendage. Within the flowers are small spur-like appendages on the anthers.Les Robinson, ''Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney'', page 180

Ecology

''Prostanthera'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e of hepialid

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

s of the genus ''

Aenetus ''Aenetus'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 24 described species found in Indonesia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Australia and New Zealand. Most species have green or blue forewings and reddish hindwings, but some are predomi ...

'' including ''A. eximia'' and ''A. ligniveren''.

Uses

Mint bushes are cultivated as

ornamentals Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

and for essential oils and spices.

Species list

The following is a list of species accepted at the

Australian Plant Census The Australian Plant Census (APC) provides an online interface to currently accepted, published, scientific names of the vascular flora of Australia, as one of the output interfaces of the national government Integrated Biodiversity Information Syst ...

as at August 2020: * '' Prostanthera albiflora'' B.J.Conn (W.A.) * '' Prostanthera albohirta''

C.T.White Cyril Tenison ("C.T.") White (17 August 1890 – 15 August 1950) was an Australian botanist. Early life White was born in Brisbane to Henry White, a trade broker, and Louisa ''nee'' Bailey. He attended school at South Brisbane State School, an ...

(Qld.) * ''

Prostanthera althoferi ''Prostanthera althoferi'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to inland areas of Australia. It is an erect shrub with its stems and leaves densely covered with silvery, greyish-green hairs, and has narrow egg- ...

'' B.J.Conn (W.A., N.T., S.A.) ** ''Prostanthera althoferi'' B.J.Conn subsp. ''althoferi'' (W.A.) ** ''Prostanthera althoferi'' subsp. ''longifolia'' B.J.Conn (N.T., S.A.) * '' Prostanthera ammophila'' B.J.Conn (S.A.) * '' Prostanthera arapilensis'' M.L.Williams, Drinnan & N.G.Walsh (Vic.) * '' Prostanthera askania'' B.J.Conn (N.S.W.) – tranquility mint-bush * '' Prostanthera aspalathoides''

A.Cunn. Allan Cunningham (13 July 1791 – 27 June 1839) was an English botanist and explorer, primarily known for his travels in Australia to collect plants. Early life Cunningham was born in Wimbledon, Surrey, England, the son of Allan Cu ...

ex Benth. (S.A., N.S.W., Vic.) – scarlet mint-bush * '' Prostanthera athertoniana'' B.J.Conn & T.C.Wilson (Qld.) * '' Prostanthera baxteri'' A.Cunn. ex Benth. (W.A.) * '' Prostanthera behriana'' Schltdl. (S.A.) * '' Prostanthera caerulea'' R.Br. (N.S.W.) – lilac mint-bush * ''

Prostanthera calycina ''Prostanthera calycina'', the West Coast mintbush, limestone mintbush or red mintbush, is a species of flowering plant that is endemic to the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. It is a small, more or less prostrate shrub with aromatic, elliptic ...

F.Muell. Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (german: Müller; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Vic ...

ex Benth. (S.A.) – west coast mint-bush * ''

Prostanthera campbellii ''Prostanthera campbellii'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with linear leaves and white to cream-coloured flowers with purple striations. Descr ...

'' F.Muell. (W.A.) * '' Prostanthera canaliculata'' F.Muell. (W.A.) * '' Prostanthera carrickiana'' B.J.Conn (W.A.) – Carrick's mintbush * '' Prostanthera centralis'' B.J.Conn (W.A., N.T.) * '' Prostanthera chlorantha'' (F.Muell.) F.Muell. ex Benth. (S.A.) – green mintbush * '' Prostanthera cineolifera'' R.T.Baker & H.G.Sm. (N.S.W.) – Singleton mint bush * '' Prostanthera clotteniana'' (F.M.Bailey.)

A.R.Bean Anthony Russell Bean (born 1957) is an Australian botanist who works at the Queensland Herbarium and Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mount Coot-tha. Since 1982, he has led the Eucalyptus Study Group of the Society for Growing Australian Plants. Caree ...

(Qld.) * '' Prostanthera collina'' Domin (Qld.) * '' Prostanthera conniana'' T.C.Wilson (N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera cruciflora''

J.H.Willis James Hamlyn Willis (28 January 1910 – 10 November 1995) was an Australian botanist. He described 64 new species of plants, and published more than 880 works including the landmark two-volume ''A Handbook to plants in Victoria'' between 1962 ...

(N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera cryptandroides'' A.Cunn. ex Benth. (Qld., N.S.W.)- Wollemi mint-bush ** ''Prostanthera cryptandroides'' A.Cunn. ex Benth. subsp. ''cryptandroides'' (N.S.W.) – Wollemi mint-bush ** ''Prostanthera cryptandroides'' subsp. ''euphrasioides'' (Benth.) B.J.Conn (Qld., N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera cuneata'' Benth. (N.S.W.) – alpine mint-bush * '' Prostanthera decussata'' F.Muell. (N.S.W., A.C.T., Vic.) – dense mintbush * '' Prostanthera densa'' A.A.Ham. (N.S.W.) – villous mint-bush * '' Prostanthera denticulata'' R.Br. (N.S.W., Vic.) – rough mint-bush * '' Prostanthera discolor'' R.T.Baker (N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera eckersleyana'' F.Muell. (W.A.) – crinkly mint-bush * '' Prostanthera eungella'' B.J.Conn & K.M.Proft (Qld.) * ''

Prostanthera eurybioides ''Prostanthera eurybioides'', commonly known as Monarto mintbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the south-east of South Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with densely hairy branches, thick, elli ...

'' F.Muell. (S.A.) – Monarto mint-bush * '' Prostanthera ferricola'' B.J.Conn & K.A.Sheph. (W.A.) * '' Prostanthera florifera'' B.J.Conn (S.A.) – Gawler Ranges mintbush * '' Prostanthera galbraithiae'' B.J.Conn (Vic.) – Wellington mint-bush * '' Prostanthera gilesii'' Althofer ex B.J.Conn & T.C.Wilson (N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera granitica''

Maiden Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

& Betche (Qld., N.S.W.) – granite mint-bush * '' Prostanthera grylloana'' F.Muell. (W.A.) * '' Prostanthera hindii'' B.J.Conn (N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera hirtula'' F.Muell. ex Benth. (N.S.W., Vic.) * '' Prostanthera howelliae'' Blakely (N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera incana'' A.Cunn. ex Benth. (N.S.W., Vic.) - velvet mint-bush * '' Prostanthera incisa'' R.Br. (Qld., N.S.W., Vic.) – cut-leaved mint-bush * '' Prostanthera incurvata'' B.J.Conn (W.A.) * '' Prostanthera junonis'' B.J.Conn (N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera lanceolata'' Domin (N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera laricoides'' B.J.Conn (W.A.) * ''

'' Labill. (Qld., N.S.W., A.C.T., Vic., Tas.) – Victorian Christmas bush * '' Prostanthera leichhardtii'' Benth. (Qld.) * '' Prostanthera linearis'' R.Br. (Qld., N.S.W.) – narrow-leaved mint-bush * '' Prostanthera lithospermoides'' F.Muell. (Qld.) * ''

Prostanthera magnifica ''Prostanthera magnifica'', commonly known as magnificent prostanthera, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a slender to spreading, erect shrub that has hairy stems, elliptical to na ...

'' C.A.Gardner (W.A.) – magnificent mint-bush * '' Prostanthera makinsonii'' B.J.Conn & T.C.Wilson (N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera marifolia'' R.Br. (N.S.W.) – Seaforth mint-bush * '' Prostanthera megacalyx'' C.T.White & W.D.Francis (Qld.) * '' Prostanthera melissifolia'' F.Muell. (N.S.W., Vic.) – balm mint-bush * '' Prostanthera monticola'' B.J.Conn (N.S.W., Vic.) – monkey mint-bush, buffalo mint-bush * '' Prostanthera mulliganensis'' B.J.Conn & T.C.Wilson (Qld.) * '' Prostanthera nanophylla'' B.J.Conn (W.A.) * '' Prostanthera nivea'' A.Cunn. ex Benth. (Qld., N.S.W., Vic.) – snowy mint-bush ** ''Prostanthera nivea'' var. ''induta'' Benth. (N.S.W.) ** ''Prostanthera nivea'' A.Cunn. ex Benth. var. ''nivea'' (N.S.W., Vic.) * '' Prostanthera nudula'' J.M.Black ex E.L.Robertson (S.A.) * '' Prostanthera oleoides'' T.C.Wilson & B.J.Conn (Qld.) * '' Prostanthera ovalifolia'' R.Br. (Qld., N.S.W., Vic.) – mint bush * '' Prostanthera palustris'' B.J.Conn (N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera parvifolia'' Domin (Qld.) * '' Prostanthera patens'' B.J.Conn (W.A.) * '' Prostanthera pedicellata'' B.J.Conn (W.A.) * '' Prostanthera petraea'' B.J.Conn (Qld., N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera petrophila'' B.J.Conn (W.A.) * '' Prostanthera phylicifolia'' F.Muell. (Qld., N.S.W., A.C.T., Vic.) – spiked mint-bush * '' Prostanthera porcata'' B.J.Conn (N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera prostantheroides'' (F.Muell.) T.C.Wilson, M.J.Henwood & B.J.Conn (W.A.) * '' Prostanthera prunelloides'' R.Br. (N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera rhombea'' R.Br. (N.S.W., Vic.) - sparkling mint-bush * '' Prostanthera ringens'' Benth. (Qld., N.S.W.) – gaping mint-bush * '' Prostanthera rotundifolia'' R.Br. (N.S.W., Vic., Tas.) – round-leaf mint-bush * '' Prostanthera rugosa'' A.Cunn. ex Benth. (N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera saxicola'' R.Br. (Qld., N.S.W., Vic.) ** ''Prostanthera saxicola'' var. ''bracteolata'' J.H.Willis (Qld., N.S.W., Vic.) ** ''Prostanthera saxicola'' var. ''major'' Benth. (Qld., N.S.W.) ** ''Prostanthera saxicola'' var. ''montana'' A.A.Ham. (N.S.W.) ** ''Prostanthera saxicola'' R.Br. var. ''saxicola'' (N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera schultzii'' F.Muell. ex

Tate Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...

(N.T.) * '' Prostanthera scutata'' C.A.Gardner (W.A.) * '' Prostanthera scutellarioides'' (R.Br.) Briq. (N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera sejuncta'' M.L.Williams, Drinnan & N.G.Walsh (N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera semiteres'' B.J.Conn (W.A.) ** ''Prostanthera semiteres'' subsp. ''intricata'' B.J.Conn (W.A.) ** ''Prostanthera semiteres'' B.J.Conn subsp. ''semiteres'' (W.A.) * '' Prostanthera sericea'' (J.M.Black) B.J.Conn (W.A., N.T., S.A.) * '' Prostanthera serpyllifolia'' (R.Br.) Briq. (W.A., S.A., N.S.W., Vic.) – small-leaved mint-bush ** ''Prostanthera serpyllifolia'' subsp. ''microphylla'' (R.Br.) B.J.Conn (N.S.W., S.A., Vic., W.A.) ** ''Prostanthera serpyllifolia'' (R.Br.) Briq. subsp. ''serpyllifolia'' (S.A., W.A.) * '' Prostanthera spinosa'' F.Muell. (S.A., Vic.) – spiny mint-bush * '' Prostanthera splendens'' B.J.Conn (W.A.) * '' Prostanthera staurophylla'' F.Muell. (N.S.W.) * ''

Prostanthera stenophylla ''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 ...

'' B.J.Conn (N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera striatiflora'' F.Muell. (W.A., N.T., S.A., N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera stricta'' R.T.Baker (N.S.W.) – Mount Vincent mint-bush * '' Prostanthera suborbicularis'' C.T.White & W.D.Francis (Qld.) * '' Prostanthera tallowa'' B.J.Conn & T.C.Wilson (N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera teretifolia'' Maiden & Betche (N.S.W.) – turpentine mint-bush * '' Prostanthera tozerana'' B.J.Conn & T.C.Wilson (Qld.) * '' Prostanthera tysoniana'' ( Carrick) B.J.Conn (W.A.) * '' Prostanthera verticillaris'' B.J.Conn (W.A.) * '' Prostanthera violacea'' R.Br. (N.S.W.) – violet mint-bush * '' Prostanthera walteri'' F.Muell. (N.S.W., Vic.) – blotchy mint-bush * '' Prostanthera wilkieana'' F.Muell. (W.A., N.T., S.A.)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2702908 Lamiales of Australia Lamiaceae genera Taxa named by Jacques Labillardière