Prostanthera athertoniana explained

Prostanthera athertoniana is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of Queensland. It is a small, densely-foliaged shrub with strongly aromatic, elliptical, oblong or egg-shaped leaves and hairy, purplish-mauve flowers arranged singly in upper leaf axils.

Description

Prostanthera athertoniana is a densely-foliaged shrub that typically grows to a height of about with hairy, cylindrical stems. The leaves are aromatic, densely hairy, dull green, paler on the lower surface; elliptical oblong or egg-shaped, long and wide on a petiole long. The flowers are arranged singly in two to four leaf axils near the ends of branchlets, each flower on a pedicel long. The sepals are green and purple, densely covered on the outside with white hairs, and form a tube about long with two lobes, the lower lobe long wide and the upper lobe long and wide. The petals are long, purplish mauve and hairy. The lower lip has three lobes, the centre lobe about long and wide, the side lobes long and wide. The upper lip has two lobes long and wide.[1]

Taxonomy

Prostanthera athertoniana was first formally described in 2015 by Barry Conn and Trevor Wilson in the journal Telopea from specimens collected on Kahlpahlim Rock in what is now known as Dinden National Park.[2]

Distribution and habitat

This mintbush is only known from the type location on Kahlpahlim Rock where it grows in windswept heath.

Conservation status

Prostanthera athertoniana is classified as of "least concern" under the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Conn . Barry J. . Wilson . Trevor C . Prostanthera (Lamiaceae) from far-north Queensland, Australia . Telopea . 12 January 2015 . 3 . 10.7751/telopea20158145. free .
  2. Web site: Prostanthera athertoniana. APNI. 21 August 2020.
  3. Web site: Species profile—Prostanthera athertoniana . Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science . 21 August 2020.