''Prostanthera ringens'', commonly known as gaping mint-bush, 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 eastern Australia. It is a bushy shrub with four-sided, hairy, densely glandular branches, oblong or egg-shaped leaves and pale blue to greenish or yellow flowers arranged singly in leaf axils.

Description

''Prostanthera ringens'' is a bushy shrub that typically grows to a height of with four-sided, hairy, densely glandular branches. The leaves are egg-shaped to oblong, long and wide on a petiole up to long. The flowers are arranged singly in leaf axils with bracteoles about long at the base. The sepals are long forming a tube about long with two lobes about long. The petals are and pale blue to greenish or yellow, forming a tube about long.

Taxonomy

''Prostanthera ringens'' was first formally described in 1848 by George Bentham in Thomas Mitchell's ''Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Australia''.

Distribution and habitat

Gaping mint-bush grows on rocky sandstone ridges, on stony hills and in forest on the western slopes and plains of New South Wales north from near Mendooran and in eastern central Queensland, including in the Darling Downs, Maranoa and Mitchell districts.

Conservation status

''Prostanthera ringens'' is classified as of "least concern" in Queensland under the Queensland Government '' Nature Conservation Act 1992''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15355514 ringens Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Lamiales of Australia Plants described in 1848 Taxa named by George Bentham