Prostanthera albohirta

Prostanthera albohirta is an erect, spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of {{cvt|1–2.5|m}} with densely hairy, cylindrical stems. The leaves are egg-shaped, dull green, {{cvt|6–8.5|mm}} long and {{cvt|5–7|mm}} wide on a petiole {{cvt|0.5–1.5|mm}} long. The flowers are arranged singly in four to twelve axils near the ends of branchlets, each flower on a pedicel {{cvt|1.5–2.5|mm}} long. The sepals are densely covered with white hairs and form a tube about {{cvt|3|mm}} long with two lobes, the lower lobe {{cvt|2|mm}} long and the upper lobe {{cvt|3|mm}} long. The petals are hairy, lilac to lavender and fused to form a tube about {{cvt|10|mm}} long. The lower lip has three lobes, the centre about {{cvt|3|mm}} long and {{cvt|3|mm}} wide and the side lobes about {{cvt|2|mm}} long and {{cvt|2.5|mm}} wide. The upper lip has two lobes fused with a small notch at the join. Flowering has been recorded in January.{{cite journal |last1=Conn |first1=Barry J. |last2=Wilson |first2=Trevor C |title=Prostanthera (Lamiaceae) from far-north Queensland, Australia |journal=Telopea |date=12 January 2015 |page=2 |doi=10.7751/telopea20158145|doi-access=free }}{{cite web |title=Conservation Advice Prostanthera albohirta |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/species/pubs/82052-conservation-advice-07122016.pdf |publisher=Australian Government Department of the Environment |access-date=20 August 2020}}

Prostanthera albohirta was first formally described in 1936 by Cyril Tenison White in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland from specimens collected on the "summit of Mount Demi, alt. 3,000 ft., on exposed cliff faces" by Leonard John Brass.{{cite web|title=Prostanthera albohirta|url= https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/540424|publisher=APNI|access-date=20 August 2020}}{{cite journal |last1=White |first1=Cyril Tenison |title=Contributions to the Queensland Flora, No. 5. |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland |date=1936 |volume=47 |page=74 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/192520#page/88/mode/1up |access-date=20 August 2020}}

Between 1932 and 2013, this mintbush was only known from Brass's single collection and attempts to collect further specimens failed. Then in 2013, the species was discovered on Mount Emerald near Tolga at elevations above {{cvt|900|m}}. Only about fifty plants have been found, growing in a dense shrub layer in a protected gully dominated by stunted Syncarpia glomulifera.{{cite journal |last1=Ford |first1=Andrew |last2=Conn |first2=Barry J. |title=Rediscovery of Prostanthera albohirta C.T.White (Lamiaceae). |journal=Telopea |date=3 October 2013 |volume=15 |pages=107–110 |doi=10.7751/telopea2013014|doi-access=free }}

Prostanthera albohirta is classified as "critically endangered" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and as "endangered" under the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992. The main threats to the species include inappropriate fire regimes, weed invasion, habitat loss caused by land clearing, and illegal collection.{{cite web |title=Species profile—Prostanthera albohirta |url=https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species-search/details/?id=9727 |publisher=Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science |access-date=20 August 2020}}

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albohirta

Category:Flora of Queensland

Category:Lamiales of Australia

Category:Taxa named by Cyril Tenison White

Category:Plants described in 1936

Category:Endemic flora of Queensland