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

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, the ranges around Bacchus Marsh, and Mount Korong and Mount Hope.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Prostanthera nivea". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Prostanthera nivea". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
  3. ↑ George Bentham (1870). Flora australiensis: a description of the plants of the Australian territory. pp. 103–. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
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