Mount Vincent mint bush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Vincent mint bush |
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| In Hunter Region Botanic Gardens | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Prostanthera
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| Species: |
stricta
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
The Prostanthera stricta, also known as the Mount Vincent mint bush, is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the Lamiaceae family, which includes mints. This plant is special because it only grows in a small area of New South Wales, Australia. It's a bushy, upright shrub with egg-shaped leaves and pretty purple flowers that have darker spots inside.
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What Does It Look Like?
The Mount Vincent mint bush is a bushy plant that stands tall and spreads out. It can grow up to 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) high and 3 meters (about 10 feet) wide. Its branches are covered in lots of tiny hairs, and the plant smells nice!
Its leaves are a pretty mid-green color and are also quite hairy. They look like tiny eggs, usually about 8 to 13 millimeters long and 5 to 9 millimeters wide. Each leaf sits on a very short stalk called a petiole.
The flowers grow in groups at the ends of the branches. They have small leaf-like parts called bracteoles at their base. The sepals (which protect the flower bud) are about 4 to 4.5 millimeters long and form a small tube. The petals are usually 6 to 9 millimeters long and can be light purple or a deeper purple color. Inside the flower, you might see darker dots! This plant blooms from winter all the way through spring.
How It Was Named
Scientists gave this plant its official name, Prostanthera stricta, in 1896. A botanist named Richard Thomas Baker first described it. He found samples near a place called Ilford. His findings were published in the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales.
Where It Lives
You can find this special mint bush growing in forests in sandy soil. It often grows near rivers or streams. It lives in a specific part of New South Wales, Australia, called the Central Tablelands and the nearby Central West Slopes.
Why It Needs Protection
The Mount Vincent mint bush is considered "vulnerable." This means it's at risk of disappearing if we don't protect it. Both the Australian Government and the New South Wales Government have laws to help protect it.
- The main reasons this plant is in danger are:
- Land clearing: Forests where it lives are sometimes cut down.
- Grazing and trampling: Animals walking and eating in its habitat can harm it.
- Weed invasion: Other plants (weeds) can grow and take over its space.
More About Mint Bushes
- Prostanthera suborbicularis, another type of mint bush found only in Queensland.
Images for kids
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Mount Vincent mint bush in the Hunter Region Botanic Gardens
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Map showing where the Mount Vincent mint bush is found
