''Prostanthera grylloana'' is a species of flowering plant in the family

Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory ...

and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small, erect shrub with densely hairy branchlets, small, spatula-shaped leaves and red to pink flowers.

Description

''Prostanthera grylloana'' is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of and has densely hairy branchlets. The leaves are spatula-shaped, long and about wide on a petiole up to about long. Both the petiole and leaf blade have a longitudinal groove so that the two sides of the leaves almost touch. The flowers are arranged singly in leaf axils, each flower on a

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

long. The sepals are long and form a tube long with two more or less triangular lobes about long and long. The petals are red to dull medium mauve-pink, and fused to form a tube long with two lips. The lower lip has three lobes, the centre lobe more or less triangular, long and wide, the side lobes about long wide. The upper lip is long and wide with a central notch about deep. Flowering occurs in February, May or from September to December.

Taxonomy

''Prostanthera grylloana'' was first formally described in 1876 by

Ferdinand von Mueller Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (german: Müller; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Vict ...

in his book '' Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae'' from specimens collected "in the desert around Ularing" by Jess Young. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

(''grylloana'') honours the actress

Adelaide Ristori Adelaide Ristori (29 January 18229 October 1906) was a distinguished Italian tragedienne, who was often referred to as the Marquise. Biography She was born in Cividale del Friuli, the daughter of strolling players and appeared as a child on the ...

, the wife of the marchese Giuliano Capranica del Grillo.

Distribution and habitat

This mintbush grows on granite outcrops and ridges and on stony hills and undulating plains in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Mallee and Murchison biographic regions of Western Australia.

Conservation status

''Prostanthera grylloana'' is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government

Department of Parks and Wildlife The Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) was the department of the Government of Western Australia responsible for managing lands described in the ''Conservation and Land Management Act 1984'' and implementing the state's conservation and e ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15354991 grylloana Flora of Western Australia Lamiales of Australia Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller Plants described in 1876