Eremophila bignoniiflora

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Bignonia emu bush
Eremophila bignoniiflora image.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Eremophila
Species:
E. bignoniiflora
Binomial name
Eremophila bignoniiflora
Synonyms [1]
  • Bondtia bignoniaeflora Kuntze Orthographical variantorth. var.
  • Bontia bignoniiflora(Benth.) Kuntze
  • Eremophila bignoniaeflora Barlow orth. var.
  • Eremophila bignonifloraF.Muell. orth. var.
  • Pholidia bignoniiflora(Benth.) Kraenzl.
  • Pholidia bignoniiflora(Benth.) Kraenzl.
  • Stenochilus bignoniiflorusBenth. orth. var.
  • Stenochilus bignoniiflorusBenth.

Eremophila bignoniiflora, commonly known as Bignonia emu bush, creek wilga, dogwood, eurah, gooramurra, kurumbimi (Jingulu and Mudburra languages) and river argee is a plant in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the Northern Territory and all mainland states of Australia. It is a spreading, weeping shrub or small tree with long, strap-like leaves. Its leaves are among the longest in the Eremophila genus and the flowers are also relatively large, reflecting their adaptation to pollination by birds.

Contents

Description

Eremophila bignoniiflora is a spreading, weeping shrub or small tree, usually with many branches, growing to a height of 1–8 m (3–30 ft) and sometimes almost as wide. Older specimens have a thick trunk and pale brown, perforated bark. The leaves are arranged alternately along the branches, mostly 110–160 mm (4–6 in) long, 4–9 mm (0.2–0.4 in) wide, linear or lance-shaped, gradually tapering towards both ends. Sometimes the margins of the leaves have a few teeth near their end. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

The flowers are borne singly in leaf axils on a straight stalk usually 9–18 mm (0.4–0.7 in) long. The 5 sepals are green, overlap slightly, are egg-shaped, pointed, have a distinct central ridge and are mostly 5–6.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. The petals are 20–30 mm (0.8–1 in) long, joined at their bases to form a tube. The petal tube is cream with crimson spots mostly on the lower petal lobe and inside the tube. There are 4 stamens which are about the same length as the petal tube. Flowers appear between May and August and are followed by fruit which are dry, oval-shaped and 20–30 mm (0.8–1 in) long. [2] [3] [4] [5]

E. bignoniiflora shrub, approximately 3 metres tall, Fitzroy River floodplain, Central Queensland Eremophila bignoniiflora shrub.jpg
E. bignoniiflora shrub, approximately 3 metres tall, Fitzroy River floodplain, Central Queensland
E. bignoniiflora flower Eremophila bignoniiflora flower.jpg
E. bignoniiflora flower
E. bignoniiflora foliage Eremophila bignoniiflora foliage.jpg
E. bignoniiflora foliage

Taxonomy and naming

The species was first formally described by botanist George Bentham in 1848 as Stenochilus bignoniiflorus. The description was published in Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia. [7] In 1859 Ferdinand von Mueller changed the name to Eremophila bignoniiflora. [8] The specific epithet (bignoniiflora) refers to the similarity of the flowers of this species to those in the family Bignoniaceae. [2]

Distribution

Eremophila bignoniiflora occurs extensively in New South Wales and Queensland but also in the far north-east of South Australia and the extreme north-west corner of Victoria. There are scattered populations in the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia between Derby and Halls Creek. The species occurs in floodplains surrounding major drainage systems and sometimes as scattered individuals in other places.

Ecology

The flowers of this species are bird pollinated. [2]

Conservation status

The species is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife [9] and as "vulnerable" in Victoria under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. [10]

Uses

Indigenous use

Aboriginal people used gooramurra as a bush medicine and the antimicrobial activity of oils extracted from it showed it to be effective against the yeast Candida albicans and the bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidis . [11]

Horticulture

Eremophila bignoniiflora is widely grown in gardens from the southern Victorian coast and Sydney to central Queensland and is suitable for use as a screening plant in dry locations or as a feature plant. It is difficult to propagate from cuttings but can be grown from seed or by grafting onto Myoporum . In grows best in full sun and well-drained soil but is a smaller, more open shrub in clay. It is very drought tolerant and recovers from frost, especially as a mature specimen. [6] [12]

Related Research Articles

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

Eremophila alternifolia, commonly known as narrow-leaved poverty bush, is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae, and is endemic to areas between the far west of New South Wales, the far south of the Northern Territory and the southern half of Western Australia. It is a variable shrub, with respect to its growth form, leaf shape and flower colour. Aboriginal Australians used the leaves to treat ailments such as colds and skin infections and pharmacological testing has shown that the leaves contain compounds that affect cardiac activity.

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

Eremophila glabra, commonly known as tar bush, is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is sometimes a low, ground-hugging and sometimes an erect shrub. The leaves are variable in size and shape and there is a range of flower colours. In spite of its scientific name, not all forms of the plant are glabrous but most have many small, raised glands on the stems, flowers and leaves.

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

Eremophila maculata, also known as spotted emu bush or spotted fuchsia-bush, is a plant in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae, and is endemic to Australia. It is the most widespread of its genus in nature and probably the most frequently cultivated Eremophila. It is a spreading, often densely branched shrub with variable leaf shape and flower colour, but the other features of the flowers such as the size and shape of the parts are consistent. The inside of the flower is often, but not always, spotted.

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

Eremophila oldfieldii, commonly known as pixie bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with rough bark, broad, flat or narrow fleshy leaves and red, orange or yellow flowers.

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

Eremophila longifolia, known by a range of common names including berrigan, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with weeping branches, long, narrow leaves and brick-red or pink flowers and is found in all Australian mainland states and the Northern Territory.

<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

Eremophila decipiens, commonly known as slender fuchsia bush or narrow-leaved fuchsia bush is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to an area extending from the south-west of Western Australia to southern parts of South Australia. It is low, sprawling shrub with lance-shaped leaves and red, orange or yellow flowers on a long, S-shaped stalk.

<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 racemosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremophila racemosa, also known as showy eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae, and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with glabrous leaves, small, green sepals and flowers that have many colour variations often changing as they age.

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

Eremophila biserrata, also known as prostrate eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south of Western Australia. It is a prostrate shrub covering an area of up to about 2 m2 (20 sq ft) and which has serrated leaves and flowers that are green and yellow.

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

Eremophila caespitosa, commonly known as felty-leaved eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to an area near the centre of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with a tuft-like habit, very hairy grey leaves and lilac to purple flowers.

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

Eremophila campanulata, commonly known as bell-flowered poverty bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to a small area in central Western Australia. It is a small, low, densely branched shrub with small leaves and purple or lilac flowers. Its most distinctive feature is the dark purple sepals at the base of the flowers.

Eremophila clavata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, dense, spreading shrub with narrow grey, club-shaped leaves and pink to purple, sometimes blue flowers.

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.

Eremophila eversa is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of Western Australia. It is known from only one plant, now thought to have died. It is a small shrub with small leaves and hairy purple to lilac-coloured flowers.

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

Eremophila granitica, commonly known as granite poverty bush and thin-leaved poverty bush is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with sticky, narrow leaves and with lilac-coloured flowers.

Eremophila pendulina is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a tall, spindly, weeping shrub with narrow leaves and purple, mauve or white flowers in autumn and early spring.

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

Eremophila serrulata, commonly known as serrate-leaved eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub whose leaves are sticky and have small serrations, and flowers that have green, yellowish-green or yellowish-brown petals.

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.

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

Eremophila spinescens is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a low, spreading, rigid, spiny shrub with small leaves and lilac to dark purple flowers.

References

  1. 1 2 "Eremophila bignoniiflora". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Chinnock, R.J. (Bob) (2007). Eremophila and allied genera : a monograph of the plant family Myoporaceae (1st ed.). Dural, NSW: Rosenberg. pp. 436–438. ISBN   9781877058165.
  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. 47. ISBN   9780980348156.
  4. 1 2 Chinnock, Robert J. "Eremophila bignoniiflora". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney: Plantnet. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Eremophila bignoniiflora". Lucid Central Keys. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  6. 1 2 Boschen, Norma; Goods, Maree; Wait, Russell (2008). Australia's eremophilas : changing gardens for a changing climate. Melbourne: Bloomings Books. p. 34. ISBN   9781876473655.
  7. ↑ "Stenochilus bignoniiflorus". APNI. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  8. ↑ "Eremophila bignoniiflora". APNI. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  9. ↑ "Eremophila bignoniiflora". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  10. ↑ "Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 Threatened List December 2016" (PDF). Government of Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  11. ↑ Sadgrove, Nicholas John; Hitchcock, Maria; Watson, Kenneth; Jones, Graham Lloyd (November 2012). "Chemical and Biological Characterization of Novel Essential Oils from Eremophila bignoniiflora (F. Muell) (Myoporaceae): a Traditional Aboriginal Australian Bush Medicine". Phytotherapy Research. 27 (10): 1508–1516. doi:10.1002/ptr.4889. PMID   23193085. S2CID   21978444 . Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  12. ↑ "Eremophila bignoniiflora". Australian Native Plants Society Australia. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
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