Prostanthera behriana
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Tall mintbush
| image =
| image_caption =
| genus = Prostanthera
| species = behriana
| authority = Schltdl.{{cite web|title=Prostanthera behriana|url= https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/109320|publisher=Australian Plant Census|access-date=22 August 2020}}
| range_map = Prostanthera behrianaDistA9.png
| range_map_caption = Occurrence data from AVH
}}
Prostanthera behriana, commonly known as tall mintbush,{{cite web |title=Prostanthera behriana (Labiatae) Tall Mintbush |url=https://spapps.environment.sa.gov.au/SeedsOfSA/speciesinformation.html?rid=3538 |publisher=South Australian Seed Conservation Service |access-date=22 August 2020}} is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the south-east of South Australia. It is an erect to straggling shrub with egg-shaped leaves and white, pale blue, pale violet or purplish white flowers with red-brown spots or purple streaks inside.
Description
Prostanthera behriana is an erect or straggling shrub that typically grows to a height of {{cvt|1–2.5|m}} with flattened, hairy stems. The leaves are egg-shaped, or egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, light to mid-green, {{cvt|13–26|mm}} long, {{cvt|2–5|mm}} wide and sessile. The flowers are arranged singly in leaf two to fourteen leaf axils near the ends of branchlets, each flower on a pedicel {{cvt|0.5–1|mm}} long. The sepals are light green and form a tube {{cvt|2–3|mm}} long with two lobes, the lower lobe {{cvt|1–1.5|mm}} long and about {{cvt|2|mm}} wide, the upper lobe {{cvt|2–3|mm}} long and {{cvt|3–3.5|mm}} wide. The petals are {{cvt|15–20|mm}}, white, pale blue, pale violet or purplish white with red-brown spots or purple streaks inside, and fused to form a tube {{cvt|7–10|mm}} long. The lower lip has three lobes, the centre lobe spatula-shaped, {{cvt|6–10|mm}} long and {{cvt|4.5–9|mm}} wide and the side lobes {{cvt|5.5–7|mm}} long and {{cvt|2.5–3|mm}} wide. The upper lip has two broadly egg-shaped lobes {{cvt|4–6|mm}} long and about {{cvt|6|mm}} wide.{{cite journal |last1=Conn |first1=Barry J. |title=A taxonomic revision of Prostanthera Labill. Section Prostanthera (Labiatae). 1. The species of the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. |journal=Nuytsia |date=1988 |volume=6 |issue=3 |pages=377–380 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/223970#page/105/mode/1up |access-date=22 August 2020}}{{cite web |title=Prostanthera behriana |url=http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/cgi-bin/speciesfacts_display.cgi?form=speciesfacts&name=Prostanthera_behriana |publisher=State Herbarium of South Australia |access-date=22 August 2020}}
Taxonomy
Prostanthera behriana was first formally described in 1847 by Schlechtendal in the journal Linnaea from specimens collected by Hans Hermann Behr.{{cite web|title=Prostanthera behriana|url= https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/540656publisher=APNI|access-date=22 August 2020}}{{cite journal |last1=von Schlechtendal |first1=Diederich |title=Sudaustralische Pflanzen. II. Bestimmung und Beschreibung der von Dr Behr in Sudaustralien gesammelten Pflanzen. |journal=Linnaea: Ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde |date=1847 |volume=20 |pages=610–611 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/109744#page/618/mode/1up |access-date=22 August 2020}}
Distribution and habitat
Tall mintbush grows in heath and woodland from the lower Flinders Ranges, through the Mount Lofty Ranges to south of Keith.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q15355144}}
Category:Flora of South Australia
Category:Lamiales of Australia
Category:Taxa named by Diederich Franz Leonhard von Schlechtendal