Prostanthera tallowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prostanthera tallowa |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Prostanthera
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| Species: |
tallowa
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Prostanthera tallowa is a special kind of flowering plant. It belongs to the Lamiaceae family, which includes mint plants. This plant is only found in one specific area: the Kangaroo Valley in New South Wales, Australia. It's an upright, fragrant shrub with narrow, egg-shaped leaves. Its flowers are usually mauve or light purple, and they have darker dots inside.
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What Does Prostanthera tallowa Look Like?
Prostanthera tallowa is an upright, sweet-smelling shrub. It can grow to be about 1.5 to 2 meters (5 to 6.5 feet) tall. Its branches are smooth, meaning they have no hairs.
Leaves and Stems
The leaves of this plant are narrow and shaped like an egg, or they can be long and thin. Their edges have tiny teeth. Each leaf is about 28 to 45 millimeters (1.1 to 1.8 inches) long. They are also about 3 to 5 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) wide. The leaves grow on a small stalk called a petiole, which is 2 to 5 millimeters long.
Flowers and Petals
The flowers grow in groups of ten to twenty near the ends of the branches. At the base of the sepals (the leaf-like parts that protect the flower bud), there are small leaf-like structures called bracteoles. These are about 4 to 5 millimeters long.
The sepals themselves are 5 to 6 millimeters long. They form a short tube, about 2 to 3 millimeters long, with two main parts called lobes. The upper lobe is about 2.5 to 3 millimeters long.
The petals are a beautiful mauve or light purple color. They have brown and purple dots inside the flower tube. The petals are 10 to 12 millimeters long and form a tube about 7 to 8 millimeters long. This tube has two "lips." The lower lip has a central part that is shaped like a spatula. It is about 7.5 to 9 millimeters long and 7 to 8 millimeters wide. The side parts of the lower lip are 4 to 5 millimeters long. The upper lip is broadly egg-shaped, about 3 to 4.5 millimeters long. It has a small notch in the middle, about 3 millimeters deep.
When Does It Flower?
This plant mainly flowers during the summer months, from December to February in Australia.
How Was Prostanthera tallowa Named?
The plant Prostanthera tallowa was officially described in 2012. This description was done by two scientists, Barry Conn and Trevor Wilson. They published their findings in a science journal called Telopea.
Origin of the Name
The scientists found the first samples of this plant near Tallowa Dam in Morton National Park in 1988. The second part of the plant's scientific name, tallowa, is a direct reference to Tallowa Dam. This way, the name helps us remember where the plant was first discovered.
Where Does Prostanthera tallowa Grow?
This special mintbush is only found in one small area. It grows near the place where the first samples were collected. This area is called the type location.
Habitat
Prostanthera tallowa grows in open Eucalyptus forests. It prefers rocky soils that come from sandstone. This specific type of soil and forest environment is where it thrives.
