Prostanthera hindii explained

Prostanthera hindii is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the Central Tablelands of New South Wales. It is a small, erect shrub with densely hairy branches, egg-shaped leaves, and mauve flowers with deep mauve to dark purple colouration inside the petal tube.

Description

Prostanthera hindii is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of and has densely hairy, densely glandular branchlets. The leaves are dark green above, paler below, almost glabrous, egg-shaped to narrow egg-shaped, long and wide on a petiole long. The flowers are arranged singly in four to ten upper leaf axils with bracteoles about long at the base. The sepals are maroon and form a tube wide with two lobes, the lower lobe about long and wide and the upper lobe about long and wide. The petals are mauve and long forming a tube long with deep mauve to dark purple colouration inside the tube. The central lower lobe is broadly spatula-shaped, long and wide, the side lobes long and wide. The upper lobe is broadly egg-shaped, about long and wide. Flowering mainly occurs from Spring to early summer.[1] [2]

Taxonomy and naming

Prostanthera hindii was first formally described in 1997 by Barry Conn in the journal Telopea.[3] The specific epithet (hindii) honours Peter Hind, who, with Barry Conn, collected the type material.

Distribution and habitat

This mint bush grows in Eucalyptus woodland with a shrubby understorey and is confined to the Central Tablelands of New South Wales.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Conn . Barry J. . Prostanthera hindii . Royal Botanic Garden Sydney . 2 September 2020.
  2. Conn. Barry J.. 1997. Four rare and/or threatened new species of Prostanthera Section Prostanthera (Labiatae) from New South Wales. Telopea. 7. 3. 234–237.
  3. Web site: Prostanthera hindii . Australian Plant Name Index . 2 September 2020.