Prostanthera saxicola facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prostanthera saxicola |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Prostanthera
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| Species: |
saxicola
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Prostanthera saxicola is a type of flowering plant found only in eastern Australia. It belongs to the Lamiaceae family, which includes mint plants! This plant is a shrub with long, narrow leaves and pretty white to purple flowers.
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What it Looks Like
Prostanthera saxicola is a shrub that can grow in different ways. It might spread out low to the ground or stand upright, reaching a height of about 0.2 to 2 meters (that's about 8 inches to 6.5 feet). Sometimes, its branches have tiny white hairs.
Its leaves are usually long and narrow, or shaped like an oval. They are small, typically 3 to 15 millimeters long (about 0.1 to 0.6 inches). The leaves sit on a very short stalk.
The flowers grow where the leaves meet the stem. They have small leaf-like parts called bracteoles at their base. The outer parts of the flower, called sepals, form a short tube. The petals are white to purple and measure about 8 to 15 millimeters long (about 0.3 to 0.6 inches). You can usually see this plant flowering between July and February.
How it's Named and Classified
Discovering Prostanthera saxicola
The plant Prostanthera saxicola was first officially described in 1810. A botanist named Robert Brown gave it its name. He wrote about it in his important book, Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.
Different Types of Prostanthera saxicola
Scientists have found that there are four slightly different types, or varieties, of Prostanthera saxicola. These varieties are all recognized by the Australian Plant Census. They each have small differences in how they look or where they grow:
- Var. bracteolata is also known as the slender mint-bush. It can be a tall, upright shrub or grow low to the ground. Its leaves are narrow, and its flowers are white, pale purple, or bluish.
- Var. major is a very bushy shrub. It has many branches and its leaves are narrow and oval-shaped. Its flowers are purple to white and often have yellow spots inside.
- Var. montana is a low-lying shrub. It has many leaves that are a bit leathery and oval-shaped. Its white flowers often have purple stripes inside.
- Var. saxicola is a slender shrub. It has narrow leaves spread out along its stems. Its flowers are usually purple.
Where it Grows and Lives
This mintbush is found in many places across eastern Australia. You can see it in south-eastern Queensland, throughout eastern New South Wales, and in some parts of Victoria. It likes to grow in woodlands, forests, and often in heathlands (areas with small shrubs).
Each variety tends to grow in specific areas:
- Variety bracteolata is found in south-eastern Queensland and from the Pilliga forest down to the Kanangra-Boyd National Park in New South Wales. It is the only variety that grows in Victoria.
- Variety major grows in heathlands in south-eastern Queensland and the Gibraltar Range National Park in New South Wales.
- Variety montana is found in south-eastern New South Wales.
- Variety saxicola grows in eastern New South Wales.
Conservation Status
In Queensland, both varieties of Prostanthera saxicola found there (major and bracteolata) are considered to be of "least concern." This means that, for now, they are not thought to be in danger of disappearing. This status is listed under the Queensland Government's Nature Conservation Act 1992.
