''Prostanthera denticulata'', commonly known as rough mint-bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family

Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family (biology), 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 (herb), ba ...

and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...

to coastal New South Wales. It is a straggling to almost prostrate, aromatic shrub with narrow egg-shaped leaves and purple to mauve flowers arranged in leaf axils or on the ends of branchlets.

Description

''Prostanthera denticulata'' is a straggling to more or less prostrate, aromatic shrub that typically grows to a height of , spreading to wide, with short, flattened hairs on the branchlets. The leaves are egg-shaped, long and wide on a petiole long. The flowers are arranged in leaf axils near the ends of branchlets with bracteoles long at the base. 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 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s are long forming a tube long with two lobes, the upper lobe about long. The petals are long and form a purple to mauve tube. Flowering occurs in spring and early summer.

Taxonomy

''Prostanthera denticulata'' was first formally described in 1810 by

Robert Brown Robert Brown may refer to: Robert Brown (born 1965), British Director, Animator and author Entertainers and artists * Washboard Sam or Robert Brown (1910–1966), American musician and singer * Robert W. Brown (1917–2009), American printmaker ...

in ''

Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen ''Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen'' (Prodromus of the Flora of New Holland and Van Diemen's Land) is a book by the botanist Robert Brown Robert Brown may refer to: Robert Brown (born 1965), British Director, Animator and ...

''. A recent study of ''P. denticulata'' demonstrated that coastal forms are distinct from those found elsewhere in New South Wales and Victoria. As Brown made numerous collections of ''P. denticulata'' and did not specify a

holotype A holotype (Latin: ''holotypus'') is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of s ...

, a

lectotype In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally associated. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes ...

was designated from one of Brown’s collections made at the head of Middle Harbour, Sydney. Accessions previously assigned as ''P. denticulata'' from Bathurst,

Medway Medway is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in the ceremonial county of Kent in South East England. It was formed in 1998 by merging the boroughs of City of Roche ...

, Temora and

West Wyalong West Wyalong is the main town of the Bland Shire in the northern Riverina region of western New South Wales, Australia. In the 2021 Census, West Wyalong's population was 3,037. Located west of Sydney as well as being above sea level, it i ...

were separated as the new species '' P. crocodyloides''.

Distribution and habitat

''Prostanthera denticulata'' grows in sandy, gravelly, well-drained soils derived from Triassic coarse-grained sandstone. Surrounding vegetation typically has heath-like elements in woodland or wet sclerophyll forest. It is known from the Central Coast between Bouddi National Park and the

Royal National Park The Royal National Park is a state park, protected national park that is located in the Sutherland Shire local government area in Southern Sydney and in the City of Wollongong local government area in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Au ...

in New South Wales.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15355238 denticulata Flora of New South Wales Flora of Victoria (state) Lamiales of Australia Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773) Plants described in 1810