Prostanthera melissifolia F.Muell. - Lamiaceae - balm mint bush

Erect shrub to small tree, 1-2(-5)m high, native to Australia (Victoria); branches 4-ridged; leaves ovate, margins toothed, dark-green above, paler below, slightly and faintly unpleasantly aromatic, densely glandular, petiole (8-)10-15mm long; inflorescence 10-20-flowered; corolla 10-12mm long, dark mauve, occasionally pinkish. \\
[Conn, Barry J. "Contributions to the systematics of Prostanthera (Labiatae) in south-eastern Australia." Telopea 7.4 (1998): 319-331] \\
[[https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/c9266516-fe14-4d9e-b7f9-4bb229afe710|"Prostanthera melissifolia F.Muell". Flora of Victoria.]] Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Australia. Retrieved 2017-11-23. \\
[[http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Prostanthera~melissifolia|"Prostanthera melissifolia F.Muell". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online.]] Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 2017-11-23. 

The essential oil of Prostanthera melissifolia provided at least some protection against 3 mosquito species, with the longest protection time (110 min) against Culex quinquefasciatus. \\
[Maguranyi, Suzann K., et al. "Are commercially available essential oils from Australian native plants repellent to mosquitoes?." Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 25.3 (2009): 292-300]

|{{:piperitone.jpg|}} \\ piperitone ||{{:1.8cineole.jpg|1,8-cineole}} \\ 1,8-cineole |{{:alpha_pinene.jpg| α-pinene }} \\ α-pinene |{{:linalool.jpg| linalool}} \\ linalool |{{:terpinen4ol.jpg|terpinen-4-ol}} \\ terpinen-4-ol |

Main components of a commercial oil with odour characteristics "rich mint aroma with crisp eucalyptus notes" were piperitone (33.6%), 1.8-cineole (22.5%), α-pinene (17.8%), linalool (14.2%), and terpinen-4-ol (3.6%). \\
[[https://www.planttherapy.com/balm-mint-bush-essential-oil|"Balm Mint Bush Essential Oil" Plant Therapy Inc.]] GC/MS provided by phytotherapia.com, retrieved 2017-11-22. 

{{:prostanthera_melissifolia.jpg}} \\
Prostanthera melissifolia, author: Jimbo1199, (2003) [[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BalmMintBush_detail.jpg| wikimedia commons]], © [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain|Public Domain]]