Eremaea brevifolia

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Eremaea brevifolia
Eremaea brevifolia (flower).JPG
Eremaea brevifolia flower, near the entrance to Lesueur National Park
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eremaea
Species:
E. brevifolia
Binomial name
Eremaea brevifolia
Synonyms

Melaleuca curtifolia Craven & R.D.Edwards

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.

Contents

Description

Eremaea brevifolia is an erect, densely foliaged to spreading shrub which sometimes grows to a height of 2.2 metres (7 ft). The leaves are 4.5–7.2 millimetres (0.2–0.3 in) long, 3.3–5.8 millimetres (0.1–0.2 in) wide, flat, crowded and so that they overlap each other. They are broadly egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base and have 5 to 9 veins visible on the lower surface. [1] [2]

The flowers are orange-coloured, 8–10 millimetres (0.3–0.4 in) across and (usually) occur singly on the end of short branches which grew the previous year. There are 5 sepals which are densely hairy on the outside surface and 5 petals, 3.8–6.8 millimetres (0.1–0.3 in) long. The stamens are arranged in 5 bundles, each containing 50 to 70 stamens. Flowering occurs from August to October and is followed by fruits which are woody capsules. The capsules are 7 millimetres (0.3 in) long, cup-shaped and are rough or lumpy on the outer surface. [1] [2] The leaves and fruits of this species are similar to those of Eremaea asterocarpa but the bracts surrounding the flowers are hairy. [1]

Eremaea brevifolia fruit Eremaea brevifolia (fruit).JPG
Eremaea brevifolia fruit

Taxonomy and naming

Eremaea brevifolia was first formally described in 1923 by the Czech botanist Karel Domin in Vestnik Kralovske Ceske Spolecnosti Nauk, Trida Matematiko-Prirodevedecke. [3] It had previously been known as a variety - Eremaea fimbriata var. brevifolia Benth. [4] The specific epithet (brevifolia) is from the Latin brevis meaning "short" [5] :166 and folium meaning "a leaf" [5] :466 referring to the short leaves of this species compared to the subspecies now called Eremaea asterocarpa subsp. asterocarpa. [1]

Distribution and habitat

Eremaea brevifolia occurs in the Irwin district [1] in the Geraldton Sandplains and Yalgoo biogeographic regions. [6] It grows in sand or laterite on plains and rock outcrops. [7]

Conservation

Eremaea brevifolia is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [6]

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>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.

<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.

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.

<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.

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.

<i>Beaufortia cyrtodonta</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia cyrtodonta, commonly known as Stirling Range bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a compact shrub with crowded leaves which appear greyish due to their covering of fine, soft hairs. It has heads of red flowers in spring and occurs in the Stirling Range district.

<i>Beaufortia elegans</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia elegans, commonly known as elegant beaufortia is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, diffuse shrub with crowded, curved leaves and heads of flowers that are usually reddish purple, although other colours also occur.

<i>Beaufortia empetrifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia empetrifolia, commonly known as south coast beaufortia, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a highly branched shrub with small, crowded leaves and pinkish to purple flowers in small, bottlebrush-like spikes in the warmer months. It is similar to Beaufortia micrantha except that its leaves are slightly larger.

<i>Beaufortia micrantha</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia micrantha, commonly known as small-leaved beaufortia or little bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a compact shrub with tiny leaves pressed against the stems and profuse heads of purple or pinkish-coloured flowers.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Hnatiuk, Roger J. (1998). "A revision of the genus Eremaea (Myrtaceae)". Nuytsia. 9 (2): 200–202. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  2. 1 2 Corrick, Margaret G.; Fuhrer, Bruce A. (2009). Wildflowers of Southern Western Australia (3rd ed.). [Kenthurst, N.S.W.]: Rosenberg Pub. p. 121. ISBN   9781877058844.
  3. "Eremaea brevifolia". APNI. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  4. "Eremaea fimbriata var. brevifolia". APNI. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  5. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  6. 1 2 "Eremaea brevifolia". FloraBase. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  7. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 362. ISBN   0646402439.