Eremophila compressa | |
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E. compressa growing near Salmon Gums | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Scrophulariaceae |
Genus: | Eremophila |
Species: | E. compressa |
Binomial name | |
Eremophila compressa | |
Eremophila compressa is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub whose leaves have 2 or 3 prominent teeth near their ends, and white or cream-coloured flowers.
Eremophila compressa is an erect, open shrub which usually grows to between 0.8 and 2 m (3 and 7 ft) high with branches that are glabrous but have many warty lumps and are sticky towards their ends due to the presence of resin. The leaves are arranged alternately and point upwards so that they often obscure the branches. They are green, often with a purple tinge, elliptic to egg-shaped, mostly 8–16 mm (0.3–0.6 in) long, 2–7 mm (0.08–0.3 in) wide, and have 2 or 3 prominent teeth near their ends. [2] [3]
The flowers appear singly or in pairs in leaf axils on stalks 1–3.5 mm (0.04–0.1 in) long. There are 5 narrow triangular, glabrous green sepals, 1–2 mm (0.04–0.08 in) long. The petals are 6–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long and joined at their lower end to form a tube. The petal tube is white to cream-coloured, glabrous on the outside but the inside of the tube is filled with long soft hairs and the top of the bottom lobe is also hairy. The 4 stamens are fully enclosed in the petal tube. Flowering occurs mostly from July to December and is followed by fruits which are oval-shaped, glabrous and about 1 mm (0.04 in) long. [2] [3]
The species was first formally described by Robert Chinnock in 1986 and the description was published in Nuytsia . [4] The type specimen was collected by Chinnock north of Salmon Gums. [2] [4] The specific epithet (compressa) is a Latin word meaning "compressed" [5] referring to the compressed shape of the fruits. [2]
This eremophila occurs between Ravensthorpe, Grasspatch and Norseman [2] [3] in the Esperance Plains and Mallee biogeographic regions [6] where it usually grows in disturbed clay or sandy loam soils. [2] [7]
Eremophila compressa is classified as "Priority Three" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife, [6] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat. [8]
In cultivation this eremophila grows to 2 m (7 ft) high and almost as wide. It flowers over a long period and its open, spindly growth form is a feature. It can be propagated from cuttings or by grafting onto Myoporum species, grows in most soils in full sun or partial shade, is frost tolerant and reasonably drought resistant. [9]
Eremophila oppositifolia, commonly known as weeooka, twin-leaf emu bush and mountain sandalwood, is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae, and is endemic to Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with its leaves arranged in opposite pairs and has cream to red or sometimes maroon coloured flowers. It occurs in all mainland states, but not the Northern Territory.
Eremophila hughesii is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is spindly, glabrous shrub with narrow leaves and with flowers that vary in colour from blue to pink, sometimes white. It is native to Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Eremophila coacta is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to a small area in the north west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with narrow, sticky, pointed leaves and densely hairy light to dark lilac-coloured flowers.
Eremophila crenulata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the far west of Western Australia. It is a large shrub, distinguished by its broad leaves which have distinctively wavy margins. The flowers are white, pink or blue and occasionally purple.
Eremophila cuneata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the Shark Bay area of Western Australia. It is a rarely-seen, small shrub with wedge-shaped leaves and white to cream-coloured flowers.
Eremophila fallax is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a densely-foliaged shrub with leaves which have a hooked tip and with blue to violet flowers. It occurs in South Australia and Western Australia. Without flowers, this species closely resembles Eremophila deserti but that species has 5 stamens and its fruits are a different shape.
Eremophila gibsonii is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a sticky, glabrous, rounded shrub with narrow leaves and white to lilac-coloured flowers and which occurs in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.
Eremophila interstans is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a shrub or small tree found in Western Australia and South Australia and has narrow leaves with a hooked end, and white or cream-coloured flowers.
Eremophila jucunda is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small to medium-sized shrub with hairy branches and leaves, lance-shaped to egg-shaped leaves and cream-coloured, lilac or purple flowers.
Eremophila lucida, commonly known as shining poverty bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with sticky, shiny leaves and branches and with flowers that are either red with darker red blotches inside or cream-coloured without spots or blotches.
Eremophila macmillaniana, commonly known as grey turpentine bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with broad, grey leaves and cream-coloured or pink flowers with red or purple spots on the outside.
Eremophila mirabilis is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with narrow leaves, brightly coloured sepals and petals growing in two widely separated areas.
Eremophila petrophila is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a tall, erect, open shrub with rough branches, narrow, sticky leaves and pale lilac-coloured flowers.
Eremophila physocalyx is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with soft, grey-green leaves and cream-coloured flowers with unusual inflated sepals.
Eremophila punctata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with sticky young branches and leaves due to the presence of resin. Its small leaves usually have a few blunt teeth near their ends and flowers which are usually lilac-coloured. It is a distinctive and widespread species.
Eremophila recurva is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a shrub with hairy grey leaves, large grey sepals and blue, mauve or lilac flowers.
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.
Eremophila setacea is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with narrow, glabrous leaves, hairy sepals and light blue to purple petals.
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.
Eremophila spuria is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with narrow leaves and blue, lilac, purple or white flowers and is a common and widespread species.