Eremophila caerulea

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Spotted eremophila
Eremophila caerulea.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. caerulea
Binomial name
Eremophila caerulea

Eremophila caerulea, commonly known as spotted eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, compact, spreading shrub with narrow, warty, cylindrical leaves and blue to purple flowers.

Contents

Description

Eremophila caerulea is a shrub with dense foliage, many tangled branches and a strong smell of camphor and which grows to a height of 0.3–0.6 m (1–2 ft) and a spread of up to 0.7 m (2 ft). The leaves are arranged in whorls of 3 or 4 and are usually 4–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long and about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide. They are linear in shape and almost circular in cross-section, although there are many raised warty lumps on the surface. [2] [3] [4]

The flowers are borne singly in leaf axils and lack a stalk. There are 5 linear or lance-shaped, green sepals which are 3–5.5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and hairy. The petals are 9–14 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long and joined at their lower end to form a tube. The tube is a shade of blue to purple on the outside and white with purple spots inside and there are scattered hairs on the outside The inside of the tube is filled with spidery hairs and there are hairs on the lowers petal lobe. There are 4 stamens, two of which extend slightly beyond the petals while the other two are enclosed in the petal tube. Flowering mostly occurs from September to November and is followed by fruits which are dry, oblong to almost spherical and are 2.5–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

The species was first formally described by Spencer Moore in 1899 as Pholidia caerulea and the description was published in Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany . [5] [6] In 1904 Ludwig Diels and Ernst Georg Pritzel changed the name to Eremophila caerulea. [7] [8] The specific epithet (caerulea) is a Latin word meaning "dark blue", referring to the colour of the petals. [2] [3]

There are two subspecies:

The epithet merrallii honours Edwin Merrall, a gold prospector, who first collected this plant. [2] [9]

Distribution and habitat

Eremophila caerulea occurs to the west of Kalgoorlie in the Coolgardie biogeographic region [10] where it grows in red sand or stony clay in woodland or mallee on undulating plains. [2] [11]

Conservation status

Eremophila caerulea subsp. caerulea is classified as "not threatened" [10] but Eremophila caerulea subsp. merrallii is classified as "Priority Four" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife [12] meaning that is rare but not currently under threat. [13]

Use in horticulture

Its compact form and unusual leaves make this an ideal garden shrub and is popular in many gardens. It is easily propagated from cuttings although these make take up to 3 months to strike, even in warm weather. It will grow in most soils, although more slowly in clay and will grow in full sun or partial shade. It rarely needs pruning and will survive heavy frosts. [4]

Related Research Articles

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

Eremophila abietina, also known as spotted poverty bush, 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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<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.

Eremophila succinea is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, broom-shaped shrub with sticky, narrow, hooked leaves, narrow, sticky sepals and hairy, pale purple or mauve 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.

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

Eremophila willsii is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is an erect shrub with bright green, often serrated leaves and pinkish to deep pinkish-purple petals. It is mainly found in Western Australia, the Northern Territory and South Australia in deep sand.

References

  1. ↑ "Eremophila caerulea". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Chinnock, R.J. (Bob) (2007). Eremophila and allied genera : a monograph of the plant family Myoporaceae (1st ed.). Dural, NSW: Rosenberg. pp. 256–260. ISBN   9781877058165.
  3. 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. 50–51. ISBN   9780980348156.
  4. 1 2 Boschen, Norma; Goods, Maree; Wait, Russell (2008). Australia's eremophilas : changing gardens for a changing climate. Melbourne: Bloomings Books. pp. 190–191. ISBN   9781876473655.
  5. ↑ "Pholidia caerulea". APNI. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  6. ↑ Moore, Spencer Le Marchant (1899). "The Botanical Results of a Journey into the Interior of Western Australia". Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany. 34: 208–209. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  7. ↑ "Eremophila caerulea". APNI. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  8. ↑ Diels, Ludwig; Pritzel, Ernst Georg (1905). "Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae occidentalis". Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie. 35 (2): 542. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  9. ↑ "Australian Plant Collectors and Illustrators (M)". Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  10. 1 2 "Eremophila caerulea". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  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. ↑ "Eremophila caerulea subsp. merrallii". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  13. ↑ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
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