Prostanthera petrophila facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prostanthera petrophila |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Prostanthera
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| Species: |
petrophila
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Prostanthera petrophila is a special kind of flowering plant. It belongs to the Lamiaceae family, which includes mint! This plant is found only in Western Australia. It's a spreading shrub with fuzzy branches and pretty white flowers. The flowers have cool violet stripes inside.
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What Does This Plant Look Like?
Prostanthera petrophila is a shrub that spreads out. It usually grows about 0.6 to 1.5 meters tall. That's like a tall person! Its branches are covered in thick, soft hairs.
The leaves are mostly smooth, meaning they don't have many hairs. They are shaped like a narrow egg, with the skinnier end at the bottom. Each leaf is about 8.5 to 14 millimeters long and 2 to 3 millimeters wide. They grow on a short stalk called a petiole.
The flowers grow in groups of about ten to sixteen. They appear at the ends of the branches. Each flower sits on a small stalk, called a pedicel, which is about 2 to 2.5 millimeters long.
Flower Details
The flower has parts called sepals that form a tube. This tube is about 2 to 4 millimeters long. It has two main parts, or "lobes." The bottom lobe is 1 to 1.5 millimeters long. The top lobe is a bit longer, about 3 to 3.5 millimeters long.
The petals are white. They have violet stripes inside the tube and on the lobes. The petals are 5 to 6 millimeters long. They form a tube that is 4 to 5 millimeters long.
The lower part of the petal tube has three lobes. The middle lobe is shaped like a small spoon, about 3 to 5 millimeters long. The side lobes are about 4.5 to 5 millimeters long. The upper part of the petal tube is 5 to 6 millimeters long and 7 to 8 millimeters wide. It has a small notch in the middle, about 3 to 3.5 millimeters deep. This plant usually blooms in August.
How Was This Plant Named?
The plant Prostanthera petrophila was first officially described in 1988. This was done by a scientist named Barry Conn. He wrote about it in a science journal called Nuytsia. The description was based on plant samples, called "specimens," collected near Mount Barloweerie in 1931.
Where Does This Plant Grow?
This special mintbush grows in Western Australia. You can find it in places like the Murchison and Yalgoo biogeographic regions. It likes to grow on a type of reddish soil called laterite. It also grows in cracks in rocks.
Is This Plant Protected?
Prostanthera petrophila is listed as "Priority Three" by the Government of Western Australia. This means that scientists don't know a lot about it yet. It's only found in a few places. However, it's not currently in immediate danger of disappearing. This classification helps protect it while more is learned about it.
