Lilac mint bush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lilac mint bush |
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| In the Australian National Botanic Gardens | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Prostanthera
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| Species: |
caerulea
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
The Lilac Mint Bush (Prostanthera caerulea) is a beautiful flowering plant. It is a type of shrub that grows upright. You can find it only in eastern Australia, which means it's endemic there. This plant has narrow, egg-shaped leaves with tiny teeth along their edges. Its pretty flowers are white or a lovely bluish-purple color. They grow in bunches at the ends of its branches.
Contents
What the Lilac Mint Bush Looks Like
Size and Shape
The Lilac Mint Bush is an upright shrub. It usually grows between 0.5 and 3 meters tall. Its branches have four sides. They are also covered with tiny glands.
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves of this plant are narrow and shaped like an egg. They are about 18 to 65 millimeters long. They are also 6 to 22 millimeters wide. Each leaf has a small stalk called a petiole. This stalk is about 2 to 12 millimeters long. The edges of the leaves can be slightly or strongly toothed.
The flowers grow in groups. You will find them at the ends of the branches. At the base of each flower, there are small leaf-like parts called bracteoles. These are about 2.5 to 3 millimeters long. They fall off as the flower grows.
The green parts that protect the flower bud are called sepals. They are 4 to 6 millimeters long. They form a tube that is 2 to 4 millimeters long. This tube has two parts, or lobes. The top lobe is 2 to 3 millimeters long. The petals of the flower are 10 to 12 millimeters long. They form a tube that can be white or a bluish-mauve color. The Lilac Mint Bush flowers from September to November.
How the Lilac Mint Bush Got Its Name
The Lilac Mint Bush was first officially described in 1810. A famous botanist named Robert Brown gave it its scientific name. He wrote about it in a book called Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.
Where the Lilac Mint Bush Grows
You can find the Lilac Mint Bush in eastern Australia. It grows in areas with heathland and forests. It prefers sandy soil. Its range stretches from south-east Queensland down to Wollongong in New South Wales.
