Prostanthera nivea
| Prostanthera nivea | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Prostanthera nivea var. nivea at Kooyoora State Park, Victoria | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Genus: | Prostanthera |
| Species: | P. nivea |
| Binomial name | |
| Prostanthera nivea A.Cunn. ex Benth[1] | |
Prostanthera nivea, commonly known as snowy mintbush, is a shrub that is native to Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria in Australia.[2] It grows to between 1 and 4 metres high and is found in sclerophyll forest, woodland and heath. Its flowers appear in spring in the leaf axils, tending to be clustered towards the ends of branches.[2] They are about 14 to 18 mm long and white or mauve, with a yellow-spotted throat.[2] The leaves are long and narrow, 10 to 50 mm long and 0.5 to 2 mm wide.[2]
The species was first formally described by botanist Alan Cunningham in 1834 in Labiatarum Genera et Species.[1]
Two varieties are recognised:[1]
- P. nivea var. induta Benth.
- P. nivea A.Cunn. ex Benth. var. nivea
In Victoria, areas where the species occurs include the You Yangs, ranges around Bacchus Marsh, Mount Korong and Mount Hope.[3]
References
- 1 2 3 "Prostanthera nivea". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
- 1 2 3 4 "Prostanthera nivea". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
- ↑ George Bentham (1870). Flora australiensis: a description of the plants of the Australian territory. pp. 103–. Retrieved 22 April 2012.