''Prostanthera eurybioides'', commonly known as Monarto mintbush, 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 to the south-east of South Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with densely hairy branches, thick, elliptic to egg-shaped leaves clustered on short shoots, and violet to mid-purple flowers that are white with orange and dark purple dots inside the petal tube.

Description

''Prostanthera eurybioides'' is a low, spreading shrub that typically grows to less than high and wide and has more or less cylindrical, densely hairy branches. The leaves are thick, elliptical to egg-shaped, strongly aromatic when crushed, long and wide, clustered on short shoots and sessile. The flowers are arranged singly in twelve to fourteen leaf axils near the ends of branchlets, each flower on a pedicel long. The sepals form a tube long with two lobes, the lower lobe long, the upper lobe long. The petals are long, form a tube long, and are violet to mid-purple and white with orange and dark purple dots inside the tube. The lower lip of the petal tube has three lobes, the centre lobe spatula-shaped, long and wide and the side lobes long and wide. The upper lip is egg-shaped, long and wide with a central notch deep. Flowering occurs from September to November.

Taxonomy

''Prostanthera eurybioides'' was first formally described in 1855 by

Ferdinand von Mueller 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 Vict ...

in his book ''Definitions of rare or hitherto undescribed Australian plants''.

Distribution and habitat

Monarto mintbush grows amongst granite outcrops in mallee woodland in the Monarto and

Mount Monster Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

areas.

Conservation status

This mintbush is classified as "endangered" under the Australian Government '' Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' and the Government of South Australia '' National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972''. The main threats to the species are land clearing, quarry operation at Mount Monster, weed invasion, illegal rubbish dumping, trampling by walkers, and trail bike damage.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7250955 eurybioides Lamiales of Australia Flora of South Australia Plants described in 1855 Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller