Eremophila abietina

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Spotted poverty bush
Eremophila abietina.jpg
E. abietina in Burnley Gardens, Burnley, Victoria
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Eremophila
Species:
E. abietina
Binomial name
Eremophila abietina

Eremophila abietina, also known as spotted poverty bush, [2] is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to a few arid areas of Western Australia. It is a stiff, upright, compact and very sticky shrub with distinctive, dark bluish-green leaves and pale coloured flowers spotted purple.

Contents

Description

Eremophila abietina is a stiff, woody, compact and very sticky shrub which usually grows to a height of 0.5–2.5 m (2–8 ft) and often a similar width. Its leaves are densely clustered, sticky due to the presence of resin, linear in shape, 10–45 mm (0.4–2 in) long, 0.7–4.5 mm (0.03–0.2 in) wide and hairy, although the hairs are often obscured by resin. [3] [2] [4]

The flowers are borne singly in leaf axils on a flattened stalk 15–25 mm (0.6–1 in) long. The sepals overlap and are cream to reddish in colour, 13–15 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long, growing to 18–23 mm (0.7–0.9 in) long after flowering and remain on the shrub long after flowering. The tube formed by the petals is 25–35 mm (0.98–1.4 in) long and is bluish green to pale purple with the lobes spotted purple. Flowering occurs between June and October and is followed by fruit which are dry, oval or cone-shaped and have a distinct prolonged tip. [3] [2] [4] [5]

E. abietina habit (in the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan) Eremophila abietina (habit).JPG
E. abietina habit (in the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan)

Taxonomy and naming

The species was first formally described by Fritz Kraenzlin in 1925. The description was published in Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information . [6] [7] The type specimen was collected from "Laverton; North Coolgardie" by Frederick Arthur Rodway. [6] [8] The specific epithet (abietina) reflects the similarity of the foliage of this species with that of conifers in the genus Abies . [3] In 2007 Robert Chinnock described two subspecies and the names have been accepted by the Australian Plant Census: [3]

Distribution and habitat

Spotted poverty bush occurs on gibber plains, calcareous flats and jasper outcrops in an area of the Great Victoria Desert near Laverton. [5] [7] [11]

Ecology

Some native bee species collect wax from E. abietina flower buds and other parts in order to make propolis, causing damage to the plant and sometimes leading to a stunting of its growth. [4] [12]

Use in horticulture

Spotted poverty bush is sometimes a slow growing plant in the garden, but compensates by being long-lived. It grows best in well-drained soil in a sunny situation but tolerates partial shade. It will only tolerate light frosts but responds well to pruning when frost-damaged. The metallic colouring of the flowers and persistent sepals make this an attractive species. Propagation from seed and from cuttings is difficult and most garden plants are produced by grafting onto Myoporum . [4]

Conservation status

Eremophila abietina is classified as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. [5]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Eremophila bowmanii</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremophila bowmanii, also known as silver turkeybush, Bowman's poverty bush and flannel bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to New South Wales and Queensland in Australia. It is a low to medium, spreading shrub with silvery-grey, hairy foliage and blue to lilac flowers, and sometimes grows in dense thickets with mulga.

<i>Eremophila decipiens</i> Species of plant

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<i>Eremophila denticulata</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremophila denticulata, also known as toothed eremophila, toothed poverty bush and Fitzgerald eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with red flowers and leaves that have toothed margins.

<i>Eremophila fraseri</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremophila fraseri, commonly known as burra or jilarnu, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with all above-ground parts of the plant, apart from the petals, sticky and shiny due to the presence of a large amount of resin. The petals are coloured white, cream, pink and brown.

Eremophila compacta, commonly known as compact poverty bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the central west of Western Australia. There are two distinct subspecies differing in their growth habit but both have grey leaves due to a covering of white or grey hairs, and purple to blue, rarely white flowers.

<i>Eremophila flaccida</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremophila flaccida is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with sticky, shiny foliage and large, attractive flowers. There are two subspecies, one common and relatively widespread, the other known from only a few locations.

<i>Eremophila gilesii</i> Species of plant

Eremophila gilesii, commonly known Charleville turkey bush, green turkey bush, desert fuchsia and Giles emu bush is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is usually a low, spreading shrub with pinkish-lilac to purple flowers and is widespread in the Northern Territory and all mainland states except Victoria. It is considered a difficult agricultural weed in some parts of Queensland but is often used as a bush medicine by Aboriginal people.

<i>Eremophila glutinosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremophila glutinosa, commonly known as sticky emu bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, densely foliaged shrub with branches and leaves sticky and shiny due to the presence of resin. It has hairy sepals and lilac-coloured flowers.

<i>Eremophila goodwinii</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremophila goodwinii, commonly known purple fuchsia bush and Goodwin's emu bush is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a small, spreading or erect shrub with most parts sticky due to the presence of resin, tapering leaves and pale lilac to mauve flowers. It occurs in New South Wales, the Northern Territory and Queensland.

<i>Eremophila paisleyi</i> Species of plant

Eremophila paisleyi is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a rounded, broom-shaped shrub with white or lilac-coloured flowers which occurs in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

<i>Eremophila parvifolia</i> Species of plant

Eremophila parvifolia is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a shrub which has small, usually egg-shaped leaves and blackish flower buds which open to purple flowers which are white with purple spots inside. There are two subspecies, both of which are found in Western Australia and one which is also found in South Australia.

<i>Eremophila phyllopoda</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremophila phyllopoda is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub, sometimes round or flat-topped with sticky, hairy leaves and flowers ranging in colour from pink or lilac to purple.

<i>Eremophila platythamnos</i> Species of plant

Eremophila platythamnos, commonly known as desert foxglove, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is an erect shrub with short, broad leaves and purple, mauve, blue or pink flowers.

<i>Eremophila purpurascens</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremophila purpurascens, commonly known as purple eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, bushy shrub with warty leaves and spotted, pink to red flowers.

Eremophila shonae is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub or a low spreading shrub, depending on subspecies and has very sticky branches and leaves due to the presence of large amounts of resin. The leaves are narrow and the flowers are mauve to purple and white inside with purple spots.

Eremophila simulans is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with broad, serrated leaves and violet to purple flowers.

<i>Eremophila spectabilis</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremophila spectabilis, commonly known as showy poverty bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a dense, erect shrub with narrow, greyish leaves and blue, mauve or purple flowers.

<i>Eremophila veneta</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremophila veneta, commonly known as metallic-flowered eremophila is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a low, spreading, sticky shrub with dark green leaves and bluish-green petals.

Eremophila verrucosa is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is an erect, broom-shaped shrub with its leaves and branches covered with yellow-grey scales and lilac to purple flowers.

References

  1. ↑ "Eremophila abietina". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Brown, Andrew; Buirchell, Bevan (2011). A field guide to the eremophilas of Western Australia (1st ed.). Hamilton Hill, W.A.: Simon Nevill Publications. pp. 30–31. ISBN   9780980348156.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Chinnock, Robert J. (2007). Eremophila and allied genera : a monograph of the plant family Myoporaceae (1st ed.). Dural, NSW: Rosenberg. pp. 622–625. ISBN   9781877058165.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Boschen, Norma; Goods, Maree; Wait, Russell (2008). Australia's eremophilas : changing gardens for a changing climate. Melbourne: Bloomings Books. pp. 62–63. ISBN   9781876473655.
  5. 1 2 3 "Eremophila abietina". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  6. 1 2 "Eremophila abietina". APNI. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  7. 1 2 Moore P. (2005). Plants of Inland Australia. Reed New Holland. ISBN   187633486X.
  8. ↑ "Rodway, Frederick A. (1880 - 1956)". Australian National Botanic Garden. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  9. ↑ "Eremophila abietina subsp. abietina". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  10. ↑ "Eremophila abietina subsp. ciliata". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  11. ↑ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 333. ISBN   0646402439.
  12. ↑ Jennings, Colin. "Eremophila and pollinators". Australian Native Plants Society (Australia). Retrieved 2 April 2016.
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