Biology:Prostanthera discolor

From HandWiki
Short description: Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera discolor
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Prostanthera
Species:
P. discolor
Binomial name
Prostanthera discolor
R.T.Baker[1]
Prostanthera discolorDistA29.png
Occurrence data from AVH

Prostanthera discolor is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It is an open, erect, strongly aromatic shrub with lance-shaped to oblong leaves, and deep mauve to purple flowers with darker spots inside.

Description

Prostanthera discolor is an open, erect, aromatic, often compact shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.6–3 m (2 ft 0 in–9 ft 10 in) and has hairy, glandular branches. The leaves are dull, dark green, paler on the lower side, mostly glabrous, lance-shaped to more or less oblong, 8–28 mm (0.31–1.10 in) long and 1–5 mm (0.039–0.197 in) wide on a petiole 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) long. The flowers are arranged singly in the upper leaf axils with bracteoles about 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long at the base. The sepals are 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and form a tube 2–2.5 mm (0.079–0.098 in) wide with two lobes, the upper lobe 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long. The petals are deep mauve to purple with darker markings inside the petal tube, and 7–10 mm (0.28–0.39 in) long. Flowering occurs from September to October.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy and naming

Prostanthera discolor was first formally described in 1896 by Richard Thomas Baker in Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales.[5][6]

Distribution and habitat

This mint bush grows in forest in gullies, often in rocky sites in the Sandy Hollow–Merriwa district.[2][3][4]

Conservation status

This mintbush is listed as "vulnerable" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the New South Wales Government Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. In the year 2000, the entire population of the species was estimated to be 110 individuals. The main threats to the species include eutrophication of nearby streams, grazing by goats and the species' small population size.[2][4]

References

Wikidata ☰ Q15355274 entry