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Prostanthera eungella facts for kids

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Prostanthera eungella
Scientific classification
Genus:
Prostanthera
Species:
eungella
Prostanthera eungellaDistA32.png
Occurrence data from AVH

The Prostanthera eungella is a special kind of flowering plant. It belongs to the Lamiaceae family, which includes mint plants. This plant is only found in the Eungella area of Queensland, Australia. It is a tall shrub with narrow, egg-shaped leaves. Its flowers are a pretty mauve color. The inside of the flower tube is white.

About the Eungella Mintbush

The Prostanthera eungella is a shrub that stands upright. It usually grows to be about 1 meter (3 feet) tall. Its stems are covered in tiny hairs and glands. The leaves are dark green on top and lighter underneath. They are shaped like narrow eggs. Each leaf is about 40–45 mm long and 10.5–11.5 mm wide. They grow on a small stalk about 4 mm long. The edges of the leaves have up to six tiny teeth. These teeth are very small, only about 0.5 mm long.

Flowers of the Eungella Mintbush

The flowers grow either alone or in pairs. They appear where the leaves meet the stem, near the ends of the branches. Each flower sits on a small stalk that is 2–4 mm long. The sepals, which are like small leaves protecting the bud, are green. They are also covered in tiny glands. The sepals form a tube about 2.5–3 mm long. This tube has two parts, called lobes. The lower lobe is about 2–2.5 mm long and 4 mm wide. The upper lobe is about 2 mm long.

The petals of the flower are 10–12 mm long. They are a lovely mauve color on the outside. Inside the petal tube, they are white. The lower part of the flower has three lobes. The middle lobe is shaped like a spatula. It is 6–8 mm long and about 7 mm wide. The two side lobes are about 4.5 mm long and 2.5 mm wide. The upper part of the flower is 4.5 mm long and about 7.5 mm wide. It has a small notch in the center, about 1–1.5 mm deep. This plant has been seen flowering in May and December.

Naming the Eungella Mintbush

Scientists officially named Prostanthera eungella in 2016. The botanists Barry Conn and Kirstin M. Proft described it. They wrote about it in a science journal called Telopea. They studied plant samples collected near the Eungella town.

Where the Eungella Mintbush Lives

This special mintbush is only found in one small area. It grows near where the first samples were collected. You can find it in open forests. It also grows on the edges of rainforests.

Protecting the Eungella Mintbush

The Queensland Government looks after this plant. They classify Prostanthera eungella as being of "least concern." This means it is not currently at high risk of disappearing. This classification is under the Nature Conservation Act 1992.

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