Eremophila congesta

Last updated

Eremophila congesta
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. congesta
Binomial name
Eremophila congesta

Eremophila congesta is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to a small area in central areas of Western Australia. It is a grey-coloured shrub with crowded, hairy leaves and lilac-coloured flowers which are white inside.

Contents

Description

Eremophila congesta is an upright, densely branched shrub growing to a height of 1.3 m (4 ft), with its branches and leaves covered with fine grey hairs. The branches are also rough due to the raised leaf bases. The leaves are crowded and erect so that they obscure the branches. They are also thick, linear in shape, mostly 12–23 mm (0.5–0.9 in) long, 1–2.5 mm (0.04–0.1 in) wide and have thickened edges. [2] [3]

The flowers are borne singly in leaf axils on very short stalks. There are 5 lance-shaped, very hairy, green to red sepals, mostly 10–18 mm (0.4–0.7 in) long. The petals are 20–25 mm (0.8–1 in) long and joined at their lower end to form a tube. The petal tube is purple, lilac or mauve and white inside with a few purple spots. The tube is mostly glabrous on the outside and filled with woolly hairs inside. The 4 stamens are fully enclosed in the petal tube. Flowering occurs mostly from August to September. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

The species was first formally described by Robert Chinnock in 2007 and the description was published in Eremophila and Allied Genera: A Monograph of the Plant Family Myoporaceae. [4] The type specimen was collected in 1958 by the plant illustrator, Nathaniel Henry Speck, [5] about 10 km (6 mi) north of Wiluna. [4] [2] [3] The specific epithet (congesta) is a Latin word meaning "collected", "dense" or "thick", [6] referring to the crowded leaves of this species. [2]

Distribution and habitat

This eremophila occurs in the Wiluna area in the Murchison biogeographic region [7] where it grows on lateritic slopes on low hills and slopes, sometimes in dense colonies. [2] [3] [7] [8]

Conservation status

Eremophila congesta is classified as "Priority One" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife, [7] meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations which are potentially at risk. [9]

Use in horticulture

The crowded, silvery-grey foliage and pale to deep lilac-coloured flowers are features of this eremophila. It has been propagated by grafting on to Myoporum and grows best in well-drained soils in a sunny position. It is drought resistant but sensitive to frost. [10]

Related Research Articles

<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 decussata</i> Species of plant

Eremophila decussata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is only known from several small, disjunct areas in Western Australia and South Australia. It is small, spreading, silvery-grey shrub with soft leaves and lilac-coloured flowers with spots or streaks of purple inside the flower.

Eremophila dendritica is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the south of Australia. It is a low, shrub with many tangled branches. Its branches, leaves and flowers are densely covered with hairs giving them a felty texture.

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.

Eremophila fasciata, commonly known as spaghetti eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of Western Australia. It is a densely-foliaged shrub with grey, felty leaves and blue to violet-coloured flowers clustered at the tips of its branches.

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

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 lanata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small shrub with small, hairy leaves, densely hairy sepals and lilac to pinkish flowers.

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

Eremophila magnifica is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with large, clustered leaves and large, attractive lilac-coloured or purple flowers, sometimes so densely clustered that they appear like compound heads of terminal flowers.

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

Eremophila malacoides, commonly known as frontage poverty bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with grey-green foliage, densely hairy leaves, and usually lilac to purple flowers but a yellow flowered form also occurs.

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

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 pungens is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is an erect, sticky shrub with broad, serrated-edged leaves which end in a sharp spine and purple or violet flowers.

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

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.

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

Eremophila reticulata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a dense shrub with egg-shaped leaves, colourful sepals and white or pink flowers.

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 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.

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

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.

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

Eremophila warnesii is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, compact shrub with furry leaves, hairy sepals and blue to mauve petals. It is a little-known species, named after the founder of the Eremophila Study Group.

References

  1. ↑ "Eremophila congesta". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Chinnock, R.J. (Bob) (2007). Eremophila and allied genera : a monograph of the plant family Myoporaceae (1st ed.). Dural, NSW: Rosenberg. pp. 509–511. ISBN   9781877058165.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Brown, Andrew; Buirchell, Bevan (2011). A field guide to the eremophilas of Western Australia (1st ed.). Hamilton Hill, W.A.: Simon Nevill Publications. p. 68. ISBN   9780980348156.
  4. 1 2 "Eremophila congesta". APNI. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  5. ↑ "Speck, Nathaniel Henry (1906–1970)". Australian National Botanic Garden. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  6. ↑ Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 228.
  7. 1 2 3 "Eremophila congesta". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  8. ↑ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 334. ISBN   0646402439.
  9. ↑ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  10. ↑ Boschen, Norma; Goods, Maree; Wait, Russell (2008). Australia's eremophilas : changing gardens for a changing climate. Melbourne: Bloomings Books. pp. 79–80. ISBN   9781876473655.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.