Balm mint bush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Balm mint bush |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Prostanthera
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| Species: |
melissifolia
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
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The Balm Mint Bush (scientific name: Prostanthera melissifolia) is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the Lamiaceae family, which also includes mint! This plant is special because it's only found in south-eastern Australia. It grows as an upright bush with fuzzy branches. Its leaves are shaped like eggs and have tiny teeth along their edges. In spring, you can see lovely mauve, purple, or pink flowers blooming at the tips of its branches.
What Does It Look Like?
The Balm Mint Bush is an upright shrub. It usually grows about 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6 feet) tall. Its branches are covered in fine hairs and tiny glands.
Its leaves are dark green on top and lighter underneath. They are shaped like an egg, about 1.5 to 3 centimeters (0.6 to 1.2 inches) long. Each leaf sits on a stem about 1 to 1.5 centimeters (0.4 to 0.6 inches) long. The edges of the leaves have small, fine teeth. The main vein and other veins on the leaves are also a bit hairy.
The flowers grow in groups of ten to twenty at the ends of the branches. Each flower has small leaf-like parts called bracteoles at its base. These fall off as the flower grows. The sepals, which are the green leaf-like parts that protect the bud, are green and sometimes have a maroon tint. They form a tube about 2 millimeters long.
The petals are usually mauve, purple, or pink. They are about 1 to 1.2 centimeters (0.4 to 0.5 inches) long. These petals form a bell-shaped tube. The flower has two "lips." The lower lip has a central part and two side parts. The upper lip has a small notch in the middle. This plant blooms during the spring season.
How Was It Named?
The Balm Mint Bush, Prostanthera melissifolia, was first officially described in 1858. This was done by a famous botanist named Ferdinand von Mueller. He wrote about it in his book, Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae.
Where Does It Grow?
You can find the Balm Mint Bush in tall mountain forests. It grows in areas between the Otway and Strzelecki Ranges in Victoria, Australia. It also grows on the far south coast of New South Wales.
