Tall mintbush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tall mintbush |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Prostanthera
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| Species: |
behriana
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
The Prostanthera behriana, also known as tall mintbush, is a type of flowering plant. It's part of the Lamiaceae family, which includes mint plants. This special plant only grows in the south-east of South Australia, meaning it is endemic to that area.
The tall mintbush is a shrub that can grow straight up or spread out. It has leaves shaped like eggs. Its flowers can be white, light blue, light purple, or a mix of purplish-white. Inside the flowers, you might see small red-brown spots or purple lines.
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What the Tall Mintbush Looks Like
The tall mintbush is a shrub that usually grows to be about 1 to 2.5 meters (3 to 8 feet) tall. It can grow upright or spread out. Its stems are a bit flat and have small hairs on them.
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves of the tall mintbush are shaped like eggs. Sometimes, the narrower part of the egg shape is at the bottom. They are a light to medium green color. Each leaf is about 13 to 26 millimeters long and 2 to 5 millimeters wide. They are also sessile, which means they attach directly to the stem without a small stalk.
The flowers grow one by one where the leaves meet the branchlets, usually near the ends of the branches. Each flower sits on a tiny stalk called a pedicel, which is about 0.5 to 1 millimeter long.
The green parts that protect the flower bud are called sepals. They form a tube about 2 to 3 millimeters long. This tube has two parts, or lobes. The bottom lobe is about 1 to 1.5 millimeters long and 2 millimeters wide. The top lobe is a bit bigger, about 2 to 3 millimeters long and 3 to 3.5 millimeters wide.
The petals of the flower are about 15 to 20 millimeters long. They can be white, light blue, light purple, or purplish-white. Inside the flower, you might see red-brown spots or purple streaks. The petals are joined together to form a tube about 7 to 10 millimeters long.
The lower part of the flower has three lobes. The middle lobe is shaped like a spatula and is about 6 to 10 millimeters long and 4.5 to 9 millimeters wide. The two side lobes are about 5.5 to 7 millimeters long and 2.5 to 3 millimeters wide. The upper part of the flower has two broadly egg-shaped lobes, each about 4 to 6 millimeters long and 6 millimeters wide.
How the Tall Mintbush Got Its Name
The tall mintbush, Prostanthera behriana, was first officially described in 1847. A scientist named Schlechtendal wrote about it in a science journal called Linnaea. He studied plant samples that were collected by another person named Hans Hermann Behr.
Where the Tall Mintbush Lives
You can find the tall mintbush growing in areas with heathland and woodlands. It grows from the lower Flinders Ranges, through the Mount Lofty Ranges, and as far south as Keith in South Australia.
