Eremaea atala

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Eremaea atala
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eremaea
Species:
E. atala
Binomial name
Eremaea atala
Synonyms [1]

Melaleuca atala(Hnatiuk) Craven & R.D.Edwards

Eremaea atala is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with small, soft, non-prickly leaves, and purple flowers in late spring or summer. Flowers appear in groups of up to five usually on the ends of branches formed in the same year's growth.

Contents

Description

Eremaea atala is a small, erect shrub with spreading branches, growing to a height of 1.2 metres (4 ft). The leaves are 7.3–10 millimetres (0.3–0.4 in) long, 0.8–1.5 millimetres (0.03–0.06 in) wide, flat, narrow egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base and have a single vein visible on the lower surface. Unlike some others in the genus Eremaea , the leaves are soft and lack a prickly end. [2] [3]

The flowers are purple-coloured and arranged in groups of mostly three in the angles of the leaves, mostly along the current year's growth. There are 5 sepals which are densely hairy on the outside surface and 5 petals 3.2–4.5 millimetres (0.1–0.2 in) long. The stamens, which give the flower its colour, are arranged in 5 bundles, each containing 19 to 20 stamens. Flowering occurs from November to January and is followed by fruits which are woody capsules. The capsules are more or less cup-shaped, smooth and 5.0–5.5 millimetres (0.20–0.22 in) long. [2]

Taxonomy and naming

Eremaea atala was first formally described in 1993 by Roger Hnatiuk in Nuytsia. [2] [4] The specific epithet (atala) is from the Ancient Greek atalos meaning "soft" or "delicate" [5] [6] referring to the soft leaves of this species compared to those of the closely related Eremaea violacea and Eremaea hadra . [2]

Distribution and habitat

Eremaea atala is found between the Arrowsmith and Hill Rivers [2] in the Geraldton Sandplains and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions. [3] It grows in sand over laterite. [7]

Conservation

Eremaea atala is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Eremaea</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants

Eremaea is a genus of woody shrubs and small trees in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Little study of the genus as a whole had been undertaken until Roger Hnatiuk researched Eremaea and published a paper in 1993, A revision of the genus Eremaea (Myrtaceae) in Nuytsia. The first species to be described was Eremaea pauciflora in 1837 and by 1964, the number of species known had increased to 12. Hnatiuk recognised 16 species, 5 subspecies and a number of varieties.

<i>Melaleuca hnatiukii</i> Species of shrub

Melaleuca hnatiukii is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a medium to large shrub with arching branches, prickly tipped leaves and creamy-white heads of flowers in spring or early summer.

<i>Eremaea pauciflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea pauciflora is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with small leaves and orange flowers at the ends of its branches. It has the most widespread distribution of the eremaeas with considerable variation in its characteristics so that three varieties are recognised. It was the first Eremaea to be described formally but was not originally given the name Eremaea.

<i>Eremaea fimbriata</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea fimbriata is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with small leaves and single purple flowers on the ends of the branches. The fruits are woody, urn-shaped with a small opening at the top. Unlike other eremaeas which remain dormant during winter, Eremaea fimbriata begins the new year's growth in July or August.

Calothamnus quadrifidus subsp. angustifolia is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is similar to other subspecies of Calothamnus quadrifidus except that it has longer leaves than most although in some areas there are plants that are intermediate with Calothamnus quadrifolius subsp. obtusus. The leaves are flat, narrow and prickly.

Calothamnus roseus is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with needle-shaped, prickly leaves and pink flowers with four stamen bundles.

Calothamnus scabridus is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with needle-shaped, prickly leaves and red flowers with four stamen bundles.

<i>Eremaea acutifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea acutifolia, commonly known as rusty eremaea, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with needle-like leaves and which bears orange-coloured flowers on short side branches and fruits with a surface that is rough to the touch.

<i>Eremaea asterocarpa</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea asterocarpa is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with broad, flat leaves, and orange-coloured flowers in late winter or spring. Single flowers appear on the ends of branches formed the previous year.

<i>Eremaea beaufortioides</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea beaufortioides is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with oval to egg-shaped leaves, and orange flowers in spring. Flowers appear in groups of one to six on the ends of long branches formed in the previous year.

<i>Eremaea blackwelliana</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea blackwelliana is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with soft, pointed, non-prickly leaves, orange flowers in spring and cup shaped to almost spherical woody fruits. Flowers appear singly on the ends of short side branches formed in the previous year.

<i>Eremaea brevifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea brevifolia is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, compact to spreading shrub with small, crowded leaves and orange-coloured flowers in early spring, followed by fruits with a rough outer surface.

Eremaea × codonocarpa is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is thought to be a stabilised hybrid between two subspecies of Eremaea. It is a small shrub with triangular leaves and flowers a shade of pink to purple on the ends of the branches.

Eremaea dendroidea is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small tree with small leaves and orange-coloured flowers on the ends of the branches in September. It has the most northerly distribution of all the eremaeas.

<i>Eremaea ebracteata</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea ebracteata is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with narrow, mostly linear leaves and which bears orange-coloured flowers on the long branches of the same season's growth. The fruits have a surface that is rough and lumpy.

<i>Eremaea ectadioclada</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea ectadioclada is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with small leaves, and orange-coloured flowers on the ends of the long branches which grew in the previous year.

Eremaea hadra is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with thin, flat and very prickly leaves. It has violet-coloured flowers on the ends of its branches in late spring followed by smooth, cup-shaped fruits.

Eremaea × phoenicea is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is thought to be a stabilised hybrid between two subspecies of Eremaea. It is an erect to spreading shrub with pointed, elliptic leaves and small groups of flowers, a shade of pink to red, on the ends of the branches.

<i>Eremaea purpurea</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea purpurea is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with erect branches, small leaves and purple flowers in pairs on the ends of the branches. The fruits are woody, cup-shaped capsules which release their seeds when dry.

<i>Eremaea violacea</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremaea violacea is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is low, spreading shrub with narrow, prickly leaves and which bears violet-coloured flowers on short side branches.

References

  1. 1 2 "Eremaea atala". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Hnatiuk, Roger J. (1998). "A revision of the genus Eremaea (Myrtaceae)". Nuytsia. 9 (2): 167–169. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 "Eremaea atala". FloraBase. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  4. ↑ "Eremaea atala". APNI. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  5. ↑ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (28 August 2014). The Eponym Dictionary of Birds. Bloomsbury. ISBN   9781472905741 . Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  6. ↑ Sheard, Kay M. (2011). Llewellyn's complete book of names for pagans, wiccans, witches, druids, heathens, mages, shamans & independent thinkers of all sorts who are curious about names from every place and every time (1st ed.). Woodbury, Minnesota: Llewellyn Publications. p. 80. ISBN   9780738723686.
  7. ↑ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 362. ISBN   0646402439.
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