Plants of
South Australia
Prostanthera behriana
Lamiaceae
Tall Mintbush,
Downy Mintbush
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Regional Species Conservation Assessments per IBRA subregion.
Least concern
Near threatened
Rare
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critically endangered
Extinct
Data deficient
Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
Marla
Marree
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Oodnadatta
Renmark
Wudinna
Keith
Yunta
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Botanical art

Kath Alcock paintings: 3

Common names

Tall Mintbush

Downy Mintbush

Etymology

Greek 'prosthece' an appendage, 'anthera' anther, refers to the spur-like part of the anther. Behriana named after Hermann H. Behr (1818-1904), a German-American doctor, entomologist and botanist, who collected in South Australia.

Distribution and status

Grows in heathlands in sandy soils and woodland in loamy soils. Native.
Herbarium regions: Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Erect to straggling shrub, 1-2.5 m high. Leaves light-green, sparsely to densely hairy, 9-26mm long, 2-6mm wide, lamina obovate to narrowly ovate. Inflorescence raceme-like on leafy branches, corolla distinctly 2-lipped, 5-lobed, purple-white with distinct brown-red dots in the throat. Flowering July - January. Fruits are fruiting calyx not enlarged; mericarps 2-3 mm long

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between November and December.

Seeds stored:
  Hide
LocationNo. of seeds
(weight grams)
Number
of plants
Date
collected
Collection number
Collection location
Date
stored
% ViabilityStorage
temperature
BGA 
MSB
22,500 (34.37 g)
22,500 (34.37 g)
4018-Nov-2004PJA85
Southern Lofty
1-Aug-200715%-18°C
BGA1,800 (3.42 g)8-Dec-2010DJD2062
Murray
1-Jan-201295%-18°C
Location: BGA — the seeds are stored at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, MSB — the seeds are stored at the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew, England.
Number of plants: This is the number of plants from which the seeds were collected.
Collection location: The Herbarium of South Australia's region name.
% Viability: Percentage of filled healthy seeds determined by a cut test or x-ray.