Eremophila cuneata

Last updated

Eremophila cuneata
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. cuneata
Binomial name
Eremophila cuneata

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.

Contents

Description

Eremophila cuneata is a low shrub with many tangled, lumpy branches with sticky tips, growing to a height of about 1 m (3 ft). The leaves are arranged alternately along the stems and are 9.5–23 mm (0.4–0.9 in) long, about 5–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) wide, thick, fleshy and wedge-shaped. [2] [3]

The flowers are only known from one immature flower on the type specimen. Flowers are apparently borne singly in leaf axils on a stalk 2.5–5.5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long. There are 5 narrow triangular sepals which are 1.5–2 mm (0.06–0.08 in) long. The petals are 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long and joined at their lower end to form a short tube so that the flowers resemble those in the genus Myoporum . The petal tube is white or cream-coloured and glabrous. The 4 stamens are fully enclosed within the tube. Flowering occurs from November to December and is followed by fruits which are fleshy, oval-shaped to almost spherical and 6–7 millimetres (0.2–0.3 in) long. [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. The type specimen was collected by Malcolm Trudgen near Steep Point. [4] The specific epithet (cuneata) is a Latin word meaning "wedge-shaped", referring to the shape of the leaves. [2] [3]

Distribution and habitat

Eremophila cuneata is known from only three plants seen by Malcolm Trudgen in the Steep Point area growing below limestone outcrops in calcareous sand [3] in the Yalgoo biogeographic region. [5] [6]

Conservation status

Eremophila cuneata is 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. [7]

Related Research Articles

<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.

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

Eremophila caperata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a broom-like shrub with flat, narrow, wrinkled leaves and white or light pink to lilac-coloured flowers.

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

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.

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

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.

<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 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.

<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.

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

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 oblonga is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small, domed-shaped shrub with small, fleshy leaves and purple or mauve flowers growing near Balladonia.

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.

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.

<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.

<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.

<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 rigida</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremophila rigida is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, rigid shrub with thick, hairy, rigid leaves and pale yellowish-cream 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.

<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. "Eremophila cuneata". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Chinnock, R.J. (Bob) (2007). Eremophila and allied genera : a monograph of the plant family Myoporaceae (1st ed.). Dural, NSW: Rosenberg. pp. 194–195. 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. 72. ISBN   9780980348156.
  4. "Eremophila cuneata". APNI. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Eremophila cuneata". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  6. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 334. ISBN   0646402439.
  7. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 4 January 2016.