PlantNET Home DONATE TODAY | PlantNET Home | Search NSW Flora | Contact Us  
FloraOnline
Introduction
Plant Name Search
Index Search
Spatial Search
Identification Keys
Classification
Glossary
WeedAlert
Telopea Journal
Other Data Sources
NEW SOUTH WALES FLORA ONLINE Printable Page

Prostanthera saxicola R.Br.
Family Lamiaceae
Prostanthera saxicola R.Br. APNI*

Description: Prostrate to erect shrub, spreading to compact, 0.2–2 m high; branches glabrous to moderately covered with white appressed antrorse hairs and ± sessile glands.

Leaves crowded to scattered; lamina linear to elliptic, 3–15 mm long, 1–6 mm wide; apex obtuse; base attenuate to cuneate, ± decurrent; margins entire, flat to ± terete; surfaces glabrous to sparsely covered with white appressed hairs and ± sessile glands; petiole 0–1 mm long.

Flowers axillary; bracteoles persistent, 0.5–3 mm long. Calyx 4–6 mm long; tube 2–3.5 mm long; upper lobe 1.5–4 mm long, enlarged in fruit. Corolla 8–15 mm long, white to mauve. Anthers with appendage 0.5–1.5 mm long.


Illustration
M. Maiden

Flowering: July–February

Distribution and occurrence: Widespread, often in heath and dry sclerophyll forest.
NSW subdivisions: CC, SC, NT, CT, ST, NWS, CWS
Other Australian states: Qld
AVH map***

The taxonomic status of the currently recognized varieties is under review. It is expected that at least some of these taxa will be recognized as distinct species. The distribution of the varieties requires further investigation.

Text by B. J. Conn
Taxon concept:

 Key to the varieties 
1Bracteoles 0.5–2 mm long; leaves narrow-elliptic or narrow-ovate, 5–15 mm long, 1.5–6 mm wide, with length 2.2–3.7 times breadth; shrub usually much-branched with scattered to densely-arranged leaves2
Bracteoles 1.6–3 mm long; leaves linear to lanceolate, 5–9 mm long, 0.5–2 mm wide, with length 4.5–10 times breadth; shrub with intertwined branches and scattered leaves. Erect to prostrate shrub, 0.1–2 m high; branches sparsely to moderately hairy, hairs antrorse. Leaves with lamina linear to narrow-oblong or lanceolate, 5–9 mm long, 0.5–1 mm wide; base narrow-cuneate; margins incurved or inrolled; sessile. Bracteoles 1.6–3 mm long. Calyx 4–5 mm long; tube 2–3 mm long; upper lobe 1.5–2 mm long, slightly enlarged in fruit. Corolla 8–10 mm long, white to pale mauve or bluish. Anthers with appendage 0.5–0.8 mm longvar. bracteolata
2Leaves not leathery, to 3 mm wide3
Leaves slightly leathery, 2–6 mm wide.Low procumbent to decumbent shrub, 0.2–1 m high, 0.4–1 m diam., much-branched, usually non-aromatic; branches glabrous to moderately hairy in a broad line between decurrent leaf base, often purplish. Leaves crowded, often purplish along margins, slightly leathery; lamina elliptic, 6–15 mm long, 2–6 mm wide; base attenuate to cuneate; margins flat or occasionally slightly incurved; ± sessile. Bracteoles bristly, c. 0.5 mm long. Calyx 5–6 mm long; tube 2–3 mm long; upper lobe 3–4 mm long. Corolla 10–12 mm long, white with purple stripes in throat. Anthers with appendage c. 1.5 mm long
                       Back to 1
var. montana
3Slender shrub 0.1–0.8 m high; leaves scattered along stem, 3–7 mm long, 1–2 mm wide; calyx sparsely to densely covered with white spreading hairs, especially on tube and lower lobe. Prostrate to erect shrub; branches sparsely to moderately hairy, often purplish. Leaves scattered, light green, often tinged with purple; petiole absent or to 1 mm long; lamina linear-oblong to narrow-elliptic, 3–7 mm long, 1–2 mm wide; base attenuate to narrow-cuneate; margins flat to slightly incurved; bracteoles 1–2 mm long. Calyx 4–5 mm long; tube 2–2.5 mm long; upper lobe 2–2.5 mm long, only slightly enlarged in fruit. Corolla 8–12 mm long, mauve. Anthers with appendage 0.5–0.8 mm longvar. saxicola
Much-branched shrub 0.6–1.2 m high; leaves more densely arranged along stem, 5–14 mm long, 1–3 mm wide; calyx glabrous or lower lobe and lower side of tube sparsely to moderately covered with white appressed hairs. Erect shrub; branches glabrous to moderately hairy. Leaves sessile; lamina narrow-elliptic to elliptic or oblong, 5–14 mm long, 1–3 mm wide; base attenuate to narrow-cuneate; margins flat to conduplicate; bracteoles c. 1.5 mm long. Calyx 4–5 mm long; tube 2.5–3 mm long; upper lobe 1.5–2.5 mm long. Corolla 8–10 mm long, mauve to almost white with yellow spots in throat. Anthers with appendage c. 1.5 mm long. Flowers Oct.–Dec. Grows in heath, in Gibraltar Ra. N.P
                       Back to 2
var. major

APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
  Privacy | Copyright | Disclaimer | About PlantNET | Cite PlantNET