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

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of about 100 species of flowering plants in the mint

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

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 all are

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 Australia. Plants are usually shrubs, rarely trees with leaves in opposite pairs. The flowers are arranged in

panicle In botany, a panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a p ...

s 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 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

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

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...

s and bracteoles 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

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s, the

anthers The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filamen ...

often with a small appendage. The

ovary The ovary () is a gonad in the female reproductive system that produces ova; when released, an ovum travels through the fallopian tube/ oviduct into the uterus. There is an ovary on the left and the right side of the body. The ovaries are end ...

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 Jean-François de Galaup, comte ...

in his book '' Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen'' 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 grow ...

''. The word is derived from the Greek for an appendage. Within the flowers are small spur-like appendages on the

anther The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

Ecology

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

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of hepialid

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

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 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 Sys ...

as at August 2020: * '' Prostanthera albiflora'' B.J.Conn (W.A.) * '' Prostanthera albohirta'' C.T.White (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-s ...

'' 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 expeditions into uncolonised areas of eastern Australia to collect plants and report on the suitability of the land for grazing ...

Benth. George Bentham (22 September 1800 – 10 September 1884) was an English botanist, described by the weed botanist Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century". Born into a distinguished family, he initially studie ...

(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. Diederich Franz Leonhard von Schlechtendal (27 November 1794, Xanten – 12 October 1866, Halle an der Saale, Halle) was a German botanist. Life and work Von Schlechtendal was born in Xanten, Xanten am Rhein and when his father Diederich Fried ...

(S.A.) * '' Prostanthera caerulea'' R.Br. (N.S.W.) – lilac mint-bush * '' Prostanthera calycina''

F.Muell. Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (; 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 Victoria (state), 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. Descri ...

'' 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. 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, Engla ...

(N.S.W.) – Singleton mint bush * '' Prostanthera clotteniana'' (F.M.Bailey.) A.R.Bean (Qld.) * '' Prostanthera collina'' Domin (Qld.) * '' Prostanthera conniana'' T.C.Wilson (N.S.W.) * '' Prostanthera cruciflora'' J.H.Willis (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'' 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 a social construct that denotes the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. As it is not an objective term with an operational definition, social definitions of what constitutes virginity, or the lack thereof ...

& 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 nar ...

'' 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 UK ...

(N.T.) * '' Prostanthera scutata'' C.A.Gardner (W.A.) * '' Prostanthera scutellarioides'' (R.Br.)

Briq. John Isaac Briquet (13 March 1870 in Geneva – 26 October 1931 in Geneva) was a Swiss botanist, director of the ''Conservatoire Botanique'' at Geneva. He received his education in natural sciences at Geneva and Berlin,

(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 ma ...

'' 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 ''Prostanthera walteri'', commonly known as blotchy mint-bush, is a species of flowering plant that is Endemism, endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a sprawling shrub with tangled, hairy branches, egg-shaped leaves and usually bluish gree ...

'' F.Muell. (N.S.W., Vic.) – blotchy mint-bush * '' Prostanthera wilkieana'' F.Muell. (W.A., N.T., S.A.)

References

External links

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