Eremophila ballythunnensis

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Eremophila ballythunnensis
Status DECF P1.svg
Priority One — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Eremophila
Species:
E. ballythunnensis
Binomial name
Eremophila ballythunnensis

Eremophila ballythunnensis is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small, spreading shrub with narrow oval leaves and mauve-purple flowers with densely hairy sepals.

Contents

Description

Eremophila ballythunnensis is a small, spreading shrub growing to 10–20 cm (4–8 in) high and 25–40 cm (10–20 in) wide. The leaves are arranged alternately, grey-green in colour, narrow oval in shape, 4–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long and 2–5 mm (0.08–0.2 in) wide. The flowers are borne singly in leaf axils on a hairy stalk 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. There are 5 lance-shaped, densely hairy green sepals which age to a burgundy colour and are 8–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) long and 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) wide. The petals are purple, 14–20 mm (0.6–0.8 in) long and joined at their lower end to form a flattened, bell-shaped tube which is glabrous inside and out. The 4 stamens are enclosed by the petal tube. Flowering time is mainly from June to August. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Eremophila ballythunnensis was first formally described by Bevan Buirchell and Andrew Brown in 2016 and the description was published in Nuytsia . [4] [2] The specific epithet (ballythunnensis) refers to "Ballythunna" Station where it was first seen. [2]

Distribution and habitat

This eremophila is found in the Murchison biogeographic region growing in shallow soil on rocky quartzite hills with Acacia and other Eremophila species. [2] [3] [5]

Conservation status

Eremophila ballythunnensis has been classified as "Priority One" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife, [5] meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations which are potentially at risk. [6]

Related Research Articles

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

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

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Eremophila grandiflora is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a large shrub with shiny leaves and the largest flowers in its genus and is only known from a restricted area near Paynes Find.

Eremophila pilosa is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small shrub with many tangled branches, with its leaves and branches densely covered with hairs and which has mauve or purple flowers. It occurs in a restricted area in the Pilbara.

Eremophila retropila is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, spreading shrub with hairy, greyish leaves crowded at the ends of the branches, and lilac or violet-coloured flowers which are white inside.

Eremophila revoluta is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a low, dense shrub with small, hairy leaves, very hairy sepals and mauve or purple petals.

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

Eremophila rhegos is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with densely hairy leaves and branches and blue, mauve, purple or white flowers.

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

Eremophila rigens is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with long, stiff, glabrous leaves and pale lilac-coloured to white flowers.

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

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Eremophila buirchellii is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the Mount Augustus National Park in Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with densely clustered leaves, pink, bell-shaped flowers and with most parts of the plant covered with greyish, branched hairs.

Eremophila capricornica is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small shrub with woolly branches, grey, hairy leaves and mauve to lilac-coloured flowers with hairy sepals.

Eremophila daddii is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a large shrub with sticky branches, hairy leaves and brown and cream-coloured flowers blotched with purple.

Eremophila ferricola is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with lance-shaped leaves and yellowish brown to greenish yellow flowers covered with fine hairs. The species is only known from a single location, growing on a banded ironstone hill.

Eremophila hamulata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, woody shrub with sticky branches, narrow, hooked leaves and hairy mauve-purple flowers.

Eremophila jamesiorum is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a wispy, sticky shrub with narrow linear leaves and white flowers tinged with pink or mauve. It is only known from a few locations in the Gibson Desert.

Eremophila pusilliflora is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a low, open shrub with narrow egg-shaped leaves and flowers which vary in colour from red to cream with a red tinge. It grows in the Pilbara region.

Eremophila laccata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to an area near Carnegie in Western Australia. It is a small, low, spindly shrub with scattered, linear leaves, and pink, flattened bell-shaped flowers.

Eremophila resiliens is a low-growing shrub with deep reddish purple flowers, woolly hairy leaves and that is endemic to Western Australia. It grows on slopes and breakaways near Lake Carnegie.

Eremophila yinnetharrensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of Western Australia. It is an erect, wispy shrub with sessile, lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and purple flowers. It is only known from near Yinnetharra Station in the Gascoyne region.

References

  1. "Eremophila ballythunnensis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Buirchell, Bevan; Brown, Andrew P. (2016). "New species of Eremophila (Scrophulariaceae): thirteen geographically restricted species from Western Australia". Nuytsia. 27: 254–256.
  3. 1 2 Brown, Andrew; Buirchell, Bevan (2011). A field guide to the eremophilas of Western Australia (1st ed.). Hamilton Hill, W.A.: Simon Nevill Publications. p. 291. ISBN   9780980348156.
  4. "Eremophila ballythunnensis". APNI. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Eremophila ballythunnensis". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  6. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 14 April 2017.