Prostanthera lasianthos, commonly known as the Victorian Christmas bush[2] or coranderrk ,[3] is a large shrub or small tree of the mint family, Lamiaceae, which is native to Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania in Australia.
Its flowers, which appear in profuse sprays, are about 2 cm long and white or pale lilac, with purple and orange blotches in the throat.
The white to pale mauve corolla is 10–15 mm long, and has purple spots in its throat.
[7] The specific epithet is derived from the Greek words lasios "hairy" and anthos "flower".
[10] A number of variants have been identified over the years with uncertain taxonomic status: P. lasianthos is found from Queensland to Tasmania.
[4] In the Central Coast and Central Tablelands regions of New South Wales it grows in rainforest with such species as yellow sassafras (Doryphora sassafras) and coachwood (Ceratopetalum apetalum), in wet sclerophyll forest with cedar wattle (Acacia elata), brown barrel (Eucalyptus fastigata), and in dry sclerophyll forest with such species as forest red gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis) and river oak (Casuarina cunninghamiana).
[17] Structurally, the flower of P. lasianthos is thought to be designed to attract insects as it has a white to mauve corolla, shallow and wide floral tube, and a large abaxial lobe.