Westringia
(named in honour of J. P. Westring, a physician to the King of Sweden). ORD. Labiatae. A genus comprising about eleven species of greenhouse shrubs, broadly dispersed over extra-tropical Australia. Flowers all axillary or rarely in terminal, leafy heads, with a pair of bracts under the calyx, usually very small and sometimes obsolete; calyx campanulate, five-toothed; corolla with a short tube, usually hairy inside, and a dilated throat, the upper lip erect but flat and broadly two-lobed, the lower one spreading, three-lobed; two upper stamens perfect, the two lower ones sterile. Leaves in whorls of three, four, or rarely more. The best-known species are here described. They thrive in any light, rich soil. Propagation may be readily effected by young cuttings, inserted in sand, under a glass. W. angustifolia (narrow-leaved). A synonym of W. rigida. W. cinerea (grey). A from of W. rigida.
W. Dampieri (Dampier's). fl. white, nearly sessile, about the size of those of W. rosmariniformis, but the corolla more hirsute. September. l. in whorls of four, or very rarely three, on the side branches, linear, much revolute, usually about 1/2in. long, smooth or scabrous above, often hoary beneath. h. several feet. 1803. (B. M. 3308.) W. eremicola (desert-loving). fl. pale blue, rather small, usually distant; calyx hoary; corolla pubescent. June. l. usually in whorls of three, narrow-linear, acute or mucronate, rarely above 1/2in. long, Branches erect, often twiggy, more or less hoary or silky-pubescent. h. 3ft. 1823. (B. M. 3438; B. R. 1481, under name of W. longifolia.) W. longifolia (long-leaved). fl. lilac, rather small, axillary; corolla pubescent outside, the tube usually exceeding the calyx teeth. Summer. l. in whorls of three, narrow-linear, mostly above 1in. long, the margins somewhat revolute or nearly flat. h. several feet. 1878.
W. rigida (rigid). fl. as in W. Dampieri. l. mostly in whorls of three, but here and there four, linear, obtuse or mucronate-acute, rigid, with much-revolute margins, usually glabrous above when full-grown, and either smooth and shining or scabrous with minute tubercles, hoary beneath. h. 3ft. 1823. SYN. W. angustifolia. W. cinerea is a more hoary form. (B. M. 3307.) W. rosmariniformis (Rosemary-like).* Victorian Rosemary. fl. pale blue, almost sessile, all axillary; corolla pubescent outside. July. l. in whorls of four, oblong-lanceolate to linear, acute or obtuse, 1/2in. to 1in. long, coriaceous, glabrous and shining above, hoary or silvery-white beneath, the margins recurved or revolute. h. several feet. 1791. (A. B. R. 214, under name of W. rosmarinacea.)