Westringia longifolia

Westringia longifolia is an open, upright shrub that reaches a height of 3 metres by 1.5 metres.

It has a patchy natural distribution in NSW, growing from north of Mittagong through the west of the Greater Sydney area (it is common around Picton and Campbelltown area – near the upper Georges River); then found in the Blue Mountains sporadically and areas such as Wollemi National Park. There is a single record from out near Peak Hill. There is then a disjunction to the northern tablelands subdivision where it extends into Queensland, growing to as far north as the Toowoomba-Caboolture area.

It is found in dry sclerophyll woodland and forests, often on rocky ground and steep terrain above and along river gorges, with soils sandy to alluvial.

Westringia spp. have simple and opposite or whorled leaves, usually in whorls of 3 to 5. In this species, they are in whorls of 3, linear, to 35 mm long and to 2 mm wide; non-aromatic, mid to dark green on both sides, with sparse hairs.

Flowers have a shape described as labiate (applies to all Lamiaceae flowers) with 5 petals varying in their size, fused at their base, produced in leaf axils. One of the identification features which separates Westringia from Prostanthera is that the 5 calyx parts (basal whorl of the flower) are separated into 5 parts, whereas they are fused into 2 ‘lips’ in Prostanthera. Flowers are typically solitary but clustered heavily in leaf axils, appearing as leafy racemes. In this species, the singular flowers are mostly white although there is a form with pale blue-mauve flowers, which can make for a much more attractive plant when in flower. Flowers are about 1 cm long by 1 cm wide and have purple to brown dots in the centre. The flowers are borne prolifically in late winter to early summer (in Sydney), and spring in cooler climates.

The fruit of Westringia are small mericarps or ‘nutlets’. A cluster of 4 is produced at the base of each flower after pollination. They are only 1 to 2 mm long.