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Cockspur Flower

Plectranthus suaveolens

Photo by Neil Ross
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

Plectranthus suaveolens, commonly known as "cockspur flower" or "native mint", is a sweetly-aromatic herbaceous plant that belonging to the family Lamiaceae. It flowers all year round, and usually grows in rocky, exposed areas... which is Girraween to a tee! Endemic to NSW and Queensland. Flowers usually blue to violet, and stems grow to about 80 cm high. PS: The name of this national park is Girraween, which means "place of flowers".

Habitat:

Spotted at the junction of the Peak and Creek Trails at Underground Creek, in Girraween National Park. Dry sclerophyll forest with sandy granite soils, substantial undergrowth and accumulated leaf litter, and foliage much greener and lush since the drought has broken. Exposed area along this section of track, and some areas were still damp and muddy from recent rain. Here's some park info - http://www.rymich.com/girraween/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girraween_National_Park

Notes:

I've chosen Plectranthus suaveolens as my spotting ID because it has been documented as occurring in Girraween. My second ID choice would be Plectranthus parviflorus. It's a very similar species, but I can't find any local reference. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plectranthus_parviflorus It appears that the first is aromatic, whereas the second is not. Next time I see this plant, I will have a sniff.

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