Prostanthera

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Lamiids
Ordo: Lamiales

Familia: Lamiaceae
Subfamilia: Prostantheroideae
Tribus: Westringieae
Genus: Prostanthera
Sectiones: P. sect. Klanderia – P. sect. Prostanthera
Overview of species

P. albiflora – P. albohirta – P. althoferi – P. ammophila – P. arapilensis – P. arenicola – P. askania – P. aspalathoides – P. baxteri – P. behriana – P. caerulea – P. calycina – P. campbellii – P. canaliculata – P. carrickiana – P. centralis – P. chlorantha – P. cineolifera – P. clotteniana – P. collina – P. cruciflora – P. cryptandroides – P. cuneata – P. decussata – P. densa – P. denticulata – P. discolor – P. eckersleyana – P. eriocalyx – P. eurybioides – P. ferricola – P. florifera – P. galbraithiae – P. granitica – P. grylloana – P. hindii – P. hirtula – P. howelliae – P. incana – P. incisa – P. incurvata – P. junonis – P. lanceolata – P. laricoides – P. lasianthos – P. linearis – P. lithospermoides – P. magnifica – P. marifolia – P. megacalyx – P. melissifolia – P. microphylla – P. monticola – P. nanophylla – P. nivea – P. nudula – P. oleoides – P. ovalifolia – P. palustris – P. parvifolia – P. patens – P. pattila – P. pedicellata – P. petraea – P. petrophila – P. phylicifolia – P. porcata – P. prunelloides – P. rhombea – P. ringens – P. rotundifolia – P. rugosa – P. saxicola – P. schultzii – P. scutata – P. scutellarioides – P. sejuncta – P. semiteres – P. sericea – P. serpyllifolia – P. sieberi – P. spathulata – P. spinosa – P. splendens – P. staurophylla – P. stenophylla – P. striatiflora – P. stricta – P. suborbicularis – P. teretifolia – P. tysoniana – P. verticillaris – P. violacea – P. walteri – P. wilkieana
Name

Prostanthera Labill. (1806)

Type species: Prostanthera lasianthos Labill., Nov. Holl. Pl. 2: 18 (1806)

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Chilodia R.Br., Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holl. 507. 1810.
Cryphia R.Br., Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holl.: 508. 1810.
Type species: non design.
Klanderia F.Muell., Linnaea 25: 426. 1853.
Type species: Klanderia chlorantha F.Muell.
Eichlerago Carrick, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 1: 115. 1977.

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Australasia
Australia
New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia.

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Labillardière, J.J.H. de (1806) Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen 2: 18.
Protologue for Prostanthera & Prostanthera lasianthos (Latin & English)

Links

Govaerts, R. et al, Kew Science Plants of the World: Prostanthera, Accessed 2018 Jan 10.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2014. Prostanthera in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2014 June 21. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2014. Prostanthera. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2014 June 21.
International Plant Names Index. 2014. Prostanthera. Published online. Accessed: June 21 2014.

Vernacular names
English: Mintbush

Prostanthera, commonly known as mintbush or mint bush, is a genus of about 100 species of flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae, and all are endemic to Australia. Plants are usually shrubs, rarely trees with leaves in opposite pairs. The flowers are arranged in panicles in the leaf axils or on the ends of branchlets. The sepals are joined at the base with two lobes. The petals are usually blue to purple or white, joined in a tube with two "lips", the lower lip with three lobes and the upper lip with two lobes or notched.

Description

Plants in the genus Prostanthera are usually shrubs or subshrubs, rarely trees, with leaves arranged in opposite pairs. The flowers are arranged in panicles in leaf axils or on the ends of branchlets with bracts and bracteoles at the base. The sepals are joined at the base but with two lobes. The petals form a tube with two lips, the lower lip with three, usually spreading lobes and the upper lip with two lobes or a notch at the tip. The petal tube is bluish purple to white or more or less red. There are four stamens, the anthers often with a small appendage. The ovary has four lobes and the tip of the stigma has two branches.[2][3][4]
Taxonomy

The genus Prostanthera was first formally described in 1806 by Jacques Labillardière in his book Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen and the first species he described was Prostanthera lasianthos.[5][6] The word is derived from the Greek for an appendage. Within the flowers are small spur-like appendages on the anthers.[7]
Ecology

Prostanthera species are used as food plants by the larvae of hepialid moths of the genus Aenetus including A. eximia and A. ligniveren.
Uses

Mint bushes are cultivated as ornamentals and for essential oils and spices.[8]
Species list

The following is a list of species accepted at the Australian Plant Census as at August 2020:[9]

References

"Prostanthera". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
Conn, Barry J.; Murray, Louisa. "Genus Prostanthera". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
Conn, Barry J. "Prostanthera". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
"Prostanthera". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
"Prostanthera". APNI. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
Labillardière, Jacques (1806). Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen. Paris: Ex typographia Dominæ Huzard,1804-1806. pp. 18–19. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
Les Robinson, Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney, ISBN 978-0-7318-1211-0 page 180
RHS A–Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 1405332964.
"Prostanthera". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 19 August 2020.