Prostanthera campbellii facts for kids
Prostanthera campbellii is a special kind of flowering plant. It belongs to the Lamiaceae family, which includes mint plants! This shrub is found only in the southwestern part of Western Australia. It grows upright and has long, thin leaves. Its flowers are usually white or cream-colored with pretty purple stripes.
Quick facts for kids Prostanthera campbellii |
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| Near Wiluna | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Prostanthera
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| Species: |
campbellii
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Contents
What Does This Plant Look Like?
Prostanthera campbellii is an upright shrub. It usually grows to be about 0.5 to 1.5 meters (about 1.5 to 5 feet) tall.
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves of this plant are long and thin. They are yellowish-green and measure about 11 to 28 millimeters (0.4 to 1.1 inches) long. They are also very narrow, only about 0.5 to 1.5 millimeters wide. The leaves attach directly to the stem without a stalk.
The flowers grow one by one in the upper parts of the plant where leaves meet the stem. Each flower sits on a tiny stalk, called a pedicel, which is about 1.5 to 3 millimeters long.
Flower Parts
The green sepals are like small leaves that protect the flower bud. They form a tube about 2 to 4 millimeters long. This tube has two parts, called lobes. The bottom lobe is 1 to 3 millimeters long, and the top lobe is 2 to 6.5 millimeters long.
The petals are the showy part of the flower. They are white to cream-colored. Near their base, they have cool purple stripes. The petals are 6.5 to 10 millimeters long and are joined together to form a tube. This tube is about 3 to 6 millimeters long.
The flower's lower lip has three lobes. The middle lobe is shaped like a spatula and is about 2.5 to 4.5 millimeters long. The side lobes are 2 to 4.5 millimeters long. The upper lip of the flower has two lobes, each 2 to 5 millimeters long.
Flowering Time
You can see Prostanthera campbellii in bloom from July to November.
How Was This Plant Named?
The way plants are named and classified is called taxonomy. Prostanthera campbellii was first officially described in 1882. This was done by a famous botanist named Ferdinand von Mueller. He wrote about it in a science journal called Southern Science Record.
Who Collected the First Samples?
The plant samples that Mueller used were collected by John Forrest. He found them near the Gascoyne River in Western Australia.
Meaning of the Name
The second part of the plant's name, campbellii, is called the specific epithet. It was chosen to honor a politician named Thomas Cockburn-Campbell.
Where Does This Plant Grow?
This type of mintbush grows in specific places in Western Australia. It likes to live on granite outcrops. These are places where large rocks made of granite stick out of the ground. It also grows in other rocky areas.
Geographic Regions
You can find Prostanthera campbellii in the South-West and Eremaean botanical regions of Western Australia.
Is This Plant Protected?
The conservation status tells us if a plant or animal is at risk of disappearing. The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has classified Prostanthera campbellii as "not threatened." This means it is not currently in danger.
