Prostanthera, commonly known as Mintbush, is a genus of plants of the family Lamiaceae

Lamiaceae

The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family of flowering plants. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae...

. There are about 90 species within the genus, all of which are endemic to Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. The word is derived from the Greek, which refers to an appendage. Within the flowers are small spur-like appendages on the anthers.

Prostanthera species are used as food plants by the larva

Larva

A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...

e of hepialid

Hepialidae

The Hepialidae is a family of insects in the lepidopteran order. Moths of this family are often referred to as swift moths or ghost moths.-Taxonomy and systematics:...

 moth

Moth

A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...

s of the genus Aenetus

Aenetus

Aenetus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 24 described species found in Indonesia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Australia and New Zealand. Most species have green or blue forewings and reddish hindwings but some are predominantly brown or white...

including A. eximia and A. ligniveren.

Prostanthera are cultivated as ornamentals and for essential oils and spices.

Species include:

• Prostanthera albiflora
• Prostanthera albohirta
• Prostanthera althoferi
• Prostanthera ammophila
• Prostanthera arenicola
• Prostanthera askania - Tranquility Mint-bush
• Prostanthera aspalathoides - Scarlet Mint-bush
• Prostanthera baxteri
• Prostanthera behriana
• Prostanthera caerulea - Lilac Mint-bush
• Prostanthera calycina
  Prostanthera calycina
  Prostanthera calycina, the West Coast Mintbush, also known as Limestone Mintbush, is a spreading perennial shrub that grows to 0.5 m tall. It is endemic to Eyre Peninsula in South Australia - it is found nowhere else in the world. The species has dark green leaves, which smell of mint when crushed....
  
  - West Coast Mintbush
• Prostanthera campbellii
• Prostanthera canaliculata
• Prostanthera carrickiana
• Prostanthera centralis
• Prostanthera chlorantha
• Prostanthera cineolifera
• Prostanthera clotteniana
• Prostanthera collina
• Prostanthera cruciflora
• Prostanthera cryptandroides
  Prostanthera cryptandroides
  Prostanthera cryptandroides is a Mint Bush, found in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. The habitat is rocky areas in dry eucalyptus woodland. The pleasant mint fragrance is from aromatic oils within their leaves, such as oil of cineol....
  
  
• Prostanthera cuneata
  Prostanthera cuneata
  Prostanthera cuneata is a shrub which is native to south-eastern Australia It has a compact habit, growing to about 1 metre high. The leaves have a rounded apex and cuneate base and are 4 to 5 mm long and 3 to 3.5 mm wide. Flowering are produced from November to April in the species native range...
  
  - Alpine Mint-bush
• Prostanthera decussata
• Prostanthera densa
• Prostanthera denticulata - Rough Mint-bush
• Prostanthera discolor
• Prostanthera eckersleyana
• Prostanthera eriocalyx
• Prostanthera eurybioides
  Prostanthera eurybioides
  Prostanthera eurybioides, of the family Lamiaceae, also known as Monarto Mint-Bush, is a perennial low spreading shrub, less than 1m high, endemic to Australia. This plant has a very limited distribution and is a nationally threatened species. Threats to survival include low seedling recruitment,...
  
  - Monarto Mint-bush
• Prostanthera florifera
• Prostanthera galbraithiae
  Prostanthera galbraithiae
  Prostanthera galbraithiae is a flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is endemic to Victoria in Australia.-Description:...
  
  
• Prostanthera granitica - Granite Mint-bush
• Prostanthera grylloana
• Prostanthera hindii
• Prostanthera hirtula
• Prostanthera howellae
• Prostanthera incana -Velvet Mint-bush
• Prostanthera incisa
  Prostanthera incisa
  Prostanthera incisa, or cut-leaf mintbush, is a shrubby plant native to rocky mountain tops of Eastern Australia. It has an attractive purple flower. The leaves are highly aromatic, ovate-lanceolate, 1–3 cm long, and teethed....
  
  - Cut-leaved Mint-bush
• Prostanthera incurvata
• Prostanthera junonis'
• Prostanthera lanceolata
• Prostanthera laricoides
• Prostanthera lasianthos
  Prostanthera lasianthos
  Prostanthera lasianthos is a large shrub or small tree which is native to Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania in Australia....
  
  - Victorian Christmas Bush
• Prostanthera linearis
  Prostanthera linearis
  Prostanthera linearis, the Narrow-leaved Mint-bush is a Mint Bush, found in New South Wales, Australia. It grows from one to three metres in height. Flowers may be white or mauve. The distribution is from Milton in the south to Gosford in the north. The habitat is in eucalyptus forest, often by...
  
  - Narrow-leaved Mint-bush
• Prostanthera lithospermoides
• Prostanthera magnifica
  Prostanthera magnifica
  Prostanthera magnifica, commonly known as Magnificent Prostanthera, is a flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is endemic to Western Australia. The species is a shrub growing to between 0.4 and 2.5 metres high. The flowers are mauve to pink and are framed by large, purplish-red calyces...
  
  - Magnificent Mint-bush
• Prostanthera marifolia
• Prostanthera megacalyx
• Prostanthera melissifolia
  Prostanthera melissifolia
  Prostanthera mellisifolia, the Balm Mint Bush, is a native Australian aromatic hardwood shrub that grows up to 2m tall. The species has purple bell shaped flowers tinted with pink and small dark green leaves. The species occurs in New South Wales and Victoria.In February 2009, the very spectacular...
  
  - Balm Mint-bush
• Prostanthera microphylla
• Prostanthera monticola - Monkey Mint-bush, Buffalo Mint-bush
• Prostanthera nanophylla
• Prostanthera nivea
  Prostanthera nivea
  Prostanthera nivea is a large shrub which is native to Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria in Australia. It grows to between 1 and 4 metres high and is found in sclerophyll forest, woodland and heath. Its flowers appear in spring in the leaf axils, tending to be clustered towards the ends...
  
  - Snowy Mint-bush
• Prostanthera nudula
• Prostanthera ovalifolia
  Prostanthera ovalifolia
  Prostanthera ovalifolia, known as the Oval-leaf Mintbush or Purple Mintbush, is one of about 90 Australian endemic species from the genus Prostanthera. Known as Australian mints or native mints....
  
  - Mint Bush
• Prostanthera palustris
• Prostanthera parvifolia
• Prostanthera patens
• Prostanthera pattila
• Prostanthera pedicellata
• Prostanthera petrophila
• Prostanthera phylicifolia
  Prostanthera phylicifolia
  Prostanthera phylicifolia, commonly known as Spiked Mint-bush, is a species of plant in the Lamiaceae family. The species was first formally described by Victorian Government Botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in 1859 in Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae....
  
  - Spiked Mint-bush
• Prostanthera porcata
• Prostanthera prunelloides
• Prostanthera rhombea -Sparkling Mint-bush
• Prostanthera ringens - Gaping Mint-bush
• Prostanthera rotundifolia
  Prostanthera rotundifolia
  Prostanthera rotundifolia, the roundleaf mint bush, is one of about 90 Australian endemic species from the genus Prostanthera, known as Australian mints or native mints.The plant is a branched woody shrub, which may reach up to...
  
  - Round-leaf Mintbush
• Prostanthera rugosa
• Prostanthera saxicola
• Prostanthera scutata
• Prostanthera scutellarioides
• Prostanthera semiteres
• Prostanthera sericea
• Prostanthera serpyllifolia - Small-leaved Mint-bush
• Prostanthera sieberi
• Prostanthera spinosa - Spiny Mint-bush
• Prostanthera splendens
• Prostanthera staurophylla
• Prostanthera stenophylla
  Prostanthera stenophylla
  Prostanthera stenophylla is a shrub species that is endemic to Wollemi National Park in New South Wales, Australia. It grows to between high and has leaves that are long and wide. Dull green above and paler green below, leaves are covered with a dense mat of hairs and give off a strong aroma...
  
  
• Prostanthera striatiflora
  Prostanthera striatiflora
  Prostanthera striatiflora, commonly known as Jockey's Cap or Striped Mintbush, is a shrub species that occurs in the dry interior region of Australia. It grows to between 0.5 and 2 metres high. The leaves are 8 to 30 mm long and 2 to 10 mm wide...
  
  - Jockey's Cap or Striped Mintbush
• Prostanthera stricta - Mt Vincent Mint-Bush
• Prostanthera suborbicularis
• Prostanthera teretifolia - Turpentine Mint-bush
• Prostanthera tysoniana
• Prostanthera verticillaris
• Prostanthera violacea - Violet Mint-bush
• Prostanthera walteri - Blotchy Mint-bush
• Prostanthera wilkieana