Prostanthera howelliae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prostanthera howelliae |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Genus: | Prostanthera |
| Species: |
P. howelliae
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| Binomial name | |
| Prostanthera howelliae Blakely
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
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Prostanthera howelliae, also known as Howell's Mint Bush, is a special flowering plant. It belongs to the mint family called Lamiaceae. This plant is only found in New South Wales and Queensland in Australia. It's a small bush with thin stems, leaves that smell nice, and pretty violet flowers shaped like tubes.
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What Does It Look Like?
Prostanthera howelliae is a bush that can grow upright or spread out. It usually reaches a height of about 0.3 to 1.5 meters (1 to 5 feet). Its branches are covered with tiny hairs.
Leaves and Scent
The leaves of this plant are narrow and shaped like a small egg. They are about 2.5 to 10 millimeters (0.1 to 0.4 inches) long and 0.5 to 1.5 millimeters (0.02 to 0.06 inches) wide. If you gently crush a leaf, it gives off a lovely, fresh scent. The edges of the leaves are often curled under, and they might have a slight maroon color. They also have tiny, cone-shaped hairs.
Beautiful Flowers
The flowers of Howell's Mint Bush are truly unique. They grow one by one where the leaves meet the stem. Each flower has two small, leaf-like parts at its base that stay on the plant even after the flower blooms.
The main part of the flower is a tube made of petals, which is about 8 to 10 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) long. These flowers are usually pink to purple-mauve. Inside the tube, you might see small spots! Like many other Prostanthera plants, these flowers have two "lips." The top lip has two small sections, and the bottom lip has three. You can usually see these beautiful flowers blooming in the spring.
How It Got Its Name
This plant was first officially described in 1929 by a scientist named William Blakely. He wrote about it in a science journal. The plant's special name, howelliae, was chosen to honor "Mrs. T.J. Howell." She was someone who was very interested in native plants for many years.
Where Does It Grow?
Howell's Mint Bush likes to grow in woodlands and areas with lots of shrubs. You can often find it in soil that has gravel or sand. It grows in the eastern parts of New South Wales and in Queensland, Australia.
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