Prostanthera junonis

Prostanthera junonis, common name Somersby mintbush, is a low straggling shrub that is native to New South Wales. [1] It grows up to 1 metre high, and is not aromatic. The branches have a moderate covering of long, spreading to retrorse hairs. The lamina of the leaves which are 4–10 mm long by 4–5 mm wide, is narrow-ovate to ovate, and often appears triangular when the margins are strongly recurved. The apex of the leaf is obtuse while the base is attenuate to truncate. The leaf margins are entire and at least partly recurved, with green surfaces and moderately covered with spreading, often slightly antrorse hairs, with the lower surface being sparsely to moderately glandular on a petiole that is about 0.5 mm long. The flowers are axillary and have persistent bracteoles which are about 2 mm long. The calyx is 5.5–6 mm long and the tube is 1.5–2 mm long with an upper lobe about 4 mm long (which slightly enlarges in fruit). The purple to mauve corolla is 7–10 mm long. The anthers' appendages are 0.8–1 mm long. It flowers in spring in its native range.[1]

Prostanthera junonis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Prostanthera
Species:
P. junonis
Binomial name
Prostanthera junonis

It grows in sclerophyll forest and woodland, near the coast, in sandy loamy soils, on sandstone.[1]

The species was formally described in 1997 by Barry Conn. The type specimen is NSW 280868 collected near Somersby, and the species epithet honours Mrs June Gay.[2][3]

Under both New South Wales and Commonwealth legislation it is an "endangered" species.[1]

References
  1. "Prostanthera junonis". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  2. "Prostanthera junonis". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  3. Conn, B.J. (1997) Four rare and/or threatened new species of Prostanthera Section Prostanthera (Labiatae) from New South Wales. Telopea 7(3): 237-241, Fig. 3
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