Prostanthera palustris

Prostanthera palustris, commonly known as swamp mint-bush,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of New South Wales. It is a low, spreading, weak shrub with spatula-shaped leaves and pale mauve and white flowers with yellow spots in the petal tube.

Swamp mint-bush
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Prostanthera
Species:
P. palustris
Binomial name
Prostanthera palustris
Occurrence data from AVH

Description

Prostanthera palustris is a low, spreading, weak shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.2–0.3 m (7.9 in–11.8 in), is not aromatic, and has branches with two longitudinal ridges. The leaves are dull green above, paler below, spatula-shaped, 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long and 3.5–5 mm (0.14–0.20 in) wide on a petiole about 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long. The flowers are arranged in groups of four to ten in upper leaf axils on pedicels 0.5–1.5 mm (0.020–0.059 in) long. The sepals are light green and form a tube 2.5–3 mm (0.098–0.118 in) long with two lobes, the lower lobe 1.5–3 mm (0.059–0.118 in) long and the upper lobe 1.5–2 mm (0.059–0.079 in) long. The petals are pale mauve and white with yellow dots inside, 8–10 mm (0.31–0.39 in) long forming a tube 4 mm (0.16 in) long with two lips. The central lobe of the lower lip is 4–4.5 mm (0.16–0.18 in) long and 4.5–5 mm (0.18–0.20 in) wide and the side lobes are about 4 mm (0.16 in) long and 2.5 mm (0.098 in) wide. The upper lip is about 2.5 mm (0.098 in) long and 6–6.5 mm (0.24–0.26 in) wide. Flowering mainly occurs from February to June.[2][3]

Taxonomy

Prostanthera palustris was first formally described in 1997 by Barry Conn in the journal Telopea from material collected in Bundjalung National Park in 1990.[3][4]

Distribution and habitat

Swamp mint-bush grows in wet coastal shrubland and heathland in Bundjalung National Park.[3]

Conservation status

This mintbush is classified as "vulnerable" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the New South Wales Government Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. The main threats to the species include inappropriate fire regimes, trampling and vegetation clearance.[5]

References
  1. "Prostanthera palustris". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  2. Conn, Barry J. "Prostanthera palustris". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  3. Conn, Barry J. (1997). "Four rare and/or threatened new species of Prostanthera Section Prostanthera (Labiatae) from New South Wales". Telopea. 7 (3): 241–244. doi:10.7751/telopea19971017.
  4. "Prostanthera palustris". APNI. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  5. "Swamp mint-bush - profile". New South Wales Government Office of Environment and Heritage. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
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