Prostanthera albohirta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prostanthera albohirta |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Prostanthera
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| Species: |
albohirta
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| occurrence data from AVH | |
| Synonyms | |
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Prostanthera albohirta is a special kind of flowering plant. It belongs to the Lamiaceae family, which includes mint plants. This plant is only found in a small part of Queensland, Australia. It's a small, upright bush with lots of leaves and pretty, hairy flowers that are usually lilac or lavender in color.
What Does It Look Like?
The Prostanthera albohirta plant is an upright bush that can grow between 1 and 2.5 meters tall. Its stems are round and covered in thick hairs.
Its leaves are shaped like eggs and are a dull green color. They are about 6 to 8.5 millimeters long and 5 to 7 millimeters wide. Each leaf has a tiny stalk called a petiole, which is about 0.5 to 1.5 millimeters long.
The flowers grow one by one where the leaves meet the stem, especially near the ends of the branches. Each flower sits on a small stalk called a pedicel, which is about 1.5 to 2.5 millimeters long.
The green parts that protect the flower bud, called sepals, are covered with white hairs. They form a tube about 3 millimeters long. The petals are hairy and are usually lilac or lavender. They join together to form a tube about 10 millimeters long. The flower has two "lips." The lower lip has three parts, and the upper lip has two parts joined with a small dip. This plant has been seen flowering in January.
How It Was Discovered
Prostanthera albohirta was officially named and described in 1936. This was done by a scientist named Cyril Tenison White. He wrote about it in a scientific paper called Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland. The first plants were found by Leonard John Brass on the top of Mount Demi, on exposed cliff faces.
Where It Lives
For a long time, between 1932 and 2013, this plant was only known from the single collection made by Brass. Scientists tried to find more plants but couldn't.
Then, in 2013, more Prostanthera albohirta plants were found on Mount Emerald, near Tolga. These plants were growing at high places, over 900 meters up. Only about fifty plants have been discovered. They grow in a thick layer of bushes in a protected valley, where many stunted Syncarpia glomulifera trees also grow.
Why It Needs Our Help
Prostanthera albohirta is considered "critically endangered" by the Australian Government. This means it is at a very high risk of disappearing forever. The Queensland Government also lists it as "endangered."
The main things that threaten this plant are:
- Fires: Fires that happen too often or at the wrong time can harm the plants.
- Weeds: Invasive weeds can grow and take over the plant's habitat.
- Habitat Loss: Land clearing for building or farming can destroy where the plants live.
- Illegal Collection: Some people might try to collect these rare plants, which is against the law and harms the species.
