Prostanthera wilkieana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prostanthera wilkieana |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Prostanthera
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| Species: |
wilkieana
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Prostanthera wilkieana is a type of flowering plant. It is found only in the dry parts of Australia. This plant is a tall, bushy shrub. Its leaves are shaped like narrow eggs. The flowers are usually purple, light violet, or white. They have cool deep purple lines and yellowish-brown spots inside.
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About the Wilkieana Mint-Bush
Prostanthera wilkieana is a shrub that grows upright. It has many branches close together. This plant usually reaches a height of about 0.3 to 1.2 meters (1 to 4 feet). Its branches, leaves, and sepals look silvery or grey. This is because they are covered in many tiny hairs.
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves are shaped like narrow eggs. They are 4 to 10 millimeters long and 1.5 to 5.5 millimeters wide. The leaves do not have a stalk; they attach directly to the stem.
The flowers grow in groups of eight to fourteen. You can find these groups near the ends of the branches. Each flower sits on a small stalk, about 1 to 3.5 millimeters long.
The sepals are like small leaves that protect the flower bud. They form a tube about 2.6 to 4.3 millimeters long. This tube has two parts, called lobes. The lower lobe is 3.6 to 6.5 millimeters long. The upper lobe is 2.1 to 4 millimeters long.
The petals are the colorful parts of the flower. They can be mauve, light violet, or white. They are 7.5 to 17 millimeters long. The petals form a tube that is 3.3 to 7.5 millimeters long. Inside this tube, you can see deep purple lines and yellowish-brown dots.
The middle part of the lower petal is shaped like a spatula. It is 3 to 6.5 millimeters long and wide. The side petals are 5.2 to 8.5 millimeters long. The top part of the flower is 5.5 to 10.5 millimeters long and 8.5 to 13.8 millimeters wide. It has a small dip in the middle, about 3 to 4.6 millimeters deep. This plant usually flowers from July to November.
Naming the Wilkieana Mint-Bush
The plant Prostanthera wilkieana was first officially described in 1874. This was done by a scientist named Ferdinand von Mueller. He wrote about it in his book Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae. The plants he studied were collected by Ernest Giles.
The second part of the plant's name, wilkieana, honors one of von Mueller's friends. This friend was David Elliot Wilkie. He was a senator in the government of the Colony of Victoria.
Where the Wilkieana Mint-Bush Grows
This type of mint-bush is found in the dry areas of Australia. You can see it in central Western Australia, the far southwest of the Northern Territory, and the northwest of South Australia. It often grows in sandy areas where spinifex grass is common.
Protecting the Wilkieana Mint-Bush
The Northern Territory Government lists Prostanthera wilkieana as "near threatened." This means it could become endangered in the future. However, the Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife lists it as "not threatened" in their state. This shows that its conservation status can be different depending on the region.
