Eremophila demissa

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Eremophila demissa
Eremophila demissa (leaves and flowers).jpg
Eremophila demissa leaves and flowers
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Eremophila
Species:
E. demissa
Binomial name
Eremophila demissa

Eremophila demissa is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to a small area of central Western Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with small, yellowish grey leaves and branches and mauve to blue flowers.

Contents

Description

Eremophila demissa is a low, compact, spreading shrub which grows to a height of less than 0.4 m (1 ft) with leaves and branches covered with fine hairs giving the surface a felty texture. The leaves are densely clustered near the ends of the branches and are elliptic to egg-shaped, 5.5–13 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long and 2–4 mm (0.08–0.2 in) wide. [2] [3]

The flowers are borne singly, rarely in pairs, in leaf axils on a densely hairy, straight stalk 3–7 mm (0.1–0.3 in) long. There are 5 slightly overlapping, lance-shaped to elliptic sepals which are hairy on the outer surface and mostly 9–14 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long. The petals are 17–26 mm (0.7–1 in) long and joined at their lower end to form a tube. The petal tube is light purple to mauve on the outside, darker on the petal lobes and whitish inside with faint purple spots. Part of the outside of the petal tube and petal lobes are hairy and the inside of the tube is filled with long, soft hairs. Flowering occurs from March to August and is followed by fruits which are oval-shaped with a papery, light brown covering and 7–8.5 mm (0.3–0.3 in) long. [2] [3]

E. demissa growing on the Gascoyne River floodplain Eremophila demissa (habit).jpg
E. demissa growing on the Gascoyne River floodplain

Taxonomy and naming

Eremophila demissa 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 Chinnock on Neds Peak Road, about 14 km (9 mi) from the Great Northern Highway. [4] [2] [3] The specific epithet (demissa) is a Latin adjective meaning "drooping", "weak" or "feeble" [5] referring to the growth habit of this species. [2]

Distribution and habitat

This eremophila occurs in an area near Meekatharra [3] where it grows on clay flats [2] and silcrete. [6] [7]

Conservation status

Eremophila demissa is classified as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. [6]

Related Research Articles

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

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

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

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

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

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Eremophila viscimarginata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small, erect, prickly shrub with hairy stems, small leaves, greenish-pink sepals and mauve petals.

<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 cuneifolia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 13 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. 514–515. 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. 78. ISBN   9780980348156.
  4. "Eremophila demissa". APNI. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  5. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 395.
  6. 1 2 "Eremophila demissa". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  7. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 334. ISBN   0646402439.