Prostanthera arapilensis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prostanthera arapilensis |
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| In Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Prostanthera
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| Species: |
arapilensis
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
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Prostanthera arapilensis is a special kind of flowering plant. It belongs to the Lamiaceae family, which includes mint plants! This plant is found only in a tiny part of Victoria, Australia. It's a shrub that stands upright and has fuzzy branches. Its leaves are shaped like wide eggs or are almost round. When it blooms, it has pretty pale purple or white flowers. Inside the flower's tube, you might see cool orange-brown spots or stripes.
What Does Prostanthera arapilensis Look Like?
Prostanthera arapilensis is an upright shrub that smells nice. It usually grows to be about 0.5 to 1.5 meters (about 1.5 to 5 feet) tall. Its branches are covered in tiny hairs. They also have small spines, about 6 to 15 millimeters long, that stick out in pairs. These pairs are opposite each other and grow at right angles.
The leaves of this plant are light to dark green, but they are paler underneath. They are shaped like wide eggs or are almost round. Each leaf is about 30 to 45 millimeters long and 1 to 2 millimeters wide. They grow on a short stem called a petiole, which is up to 1 millimeter long. The leaves are also hairy and have special oil glands on their underside.
The flowers grow where the leaves meet the stem. They have small leaf-like parts called bracteoles, which are about 1.5 to 2 millimeters long. The sepals, which protect the flower bud, are 5.5 to 7 millimeters long. They join at the bottom to form a tube about 3 to 4 millimeters long. This tube has two parts, with the upper part being 1.5 to 3 millimeters long. The petals are 12 to 19 millimeters long and are usually pale purple or white. Inside the petal tube, you can see orange-brown spots or streaks.
How Was This Plant Named?
The plant Prostanthera arapilensis was officially named in 2006. Three botanists, Mark Williams, Andrew Drinnan, and Neville Walsh, gave it its name. They wrote about it in a science magazine called Australian Systematic Botany. They found the first samples of this plant on Mount Arapiles, which is how it got its name!
Where Does This Plant Live?
This special mintbush grows in areas with heathland and scrubland. It is only found on the rocky top of Mount Arapiles. This means it's quite rare and only lives in one specific place!
