Prostanthera ovalifolia
Oval-leaf Mintbush
Oval-leaf Mintbush
Wikipedia links: Angiosperms > Eudicots > Asterids > Lamiales > Lamiaceae > Prostanthera ovalifolia
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Overview:
Prostanthera ovalifolia, commonly known as the oval-leaf mintbush or purple mintbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia
It is an erect shrub with egg-shaped leaves and groups of mauve to deep blue-purple flowers arranged in groups at the ends of branchlets
Common name: Oval-leaf Mintbush
Conservation status: ...
Etymology:
Prostanthera is derived from the Greek for an appendage
Flowers
The flowers are arranged in groups at the ends of the branchlets with bracteoles 1–2 mm long and 0.2–0.3 mm at the base, but that fall off as the flowers develop
The sepals are 2–3.5 mm long and form a tube 1–2.5 mm long with two lobes, the lower lobe 0.5–1.5 mm long
The petals are mauve to deep blue-purple and fused to form a tube 6–18 mm long
Flowering occurs from August to November
Fruit:
Leaves:
The leaves are egg-shaped, a lighter shade of green on the lower surface, 5–50 mm long and 3–12 mm wide on a petiole 1–6 mm long
Stem & branches:
Stems are square in cross-section and are moderately hairy
Roots:
Habit:
Aan erect, spreading to dense shrub that typically grows to a height of 1–4 m
Habitat:
Distribution:
Oval-leaf mintbush is widespread in forest growing on sandstone in south-eastern Queensland and eastern NSW
It is also sporadically naturalised in the eastern half of Victoria
Additional notes:
Taxonomy
Prostanthera ovalifolia was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown in his book Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen
Use in horticulture
This mintbush is widely cultivated as a garden shrub where it typically grows to a height of about 2.5 m
It grows best in a well-drained soil with some protection from direct summer sun
It should be pruned back by about one third to retain its bushy shape
Sources of information: