Eremophila deserti

Last updated

Turkey bush
Eremophila deserti.jpg
Eremophila deserti growing near Sunbury
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Eremophila
Species:
E. deserti
Binomial name
Eremophila deserti
Synonyms
  • Eremophila desertii (A.Cunn. ex Benth.) Chinnock
  • Eremophila myoporoides F.Muell.
  • Myoporum apiculatumA.DC.
  • Myoporum desertiiA.Cunn. ex Benth.
  • Myoporum dulce Benth.,
  • Myoporum laxiflorum Benth.
  • Myoporum patensA.Cunn. ex A.DC.
  • Myoporum rugulosumF.Muell.
  • Myoporum strictum A.Cunn. ex A.DC.
  • Myoporum tetrandrum var. apiculatum (A.DC.) Domin

Eremophila deserti is a shrub which is endemic to Australia. Common names for this species include turkey bush, dogwood, poison bushEllangowan poison bush, pencil bush and carrot bush. It is common and widespread in all mainland states, although not the Northern Territory. Some forms are poisonous to stock. [2]

Contents

Description

Eremophila deserti varies in habit from a low spreading shrub 0.5 m (2 ft) high to a tall erect shrub up to 4 m (10 ft) high. Its leaves and branches are sticky and shiny when young due to the presence of resin. The leaves are arranged alternately along the stems and are mostly 25–50 mm (1–2 in) long, 3–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide, glabrous, thick, linear and sickle-shaped with a hooked end. [2] [3] [4] [5]

There are often separate male and female flowers whilst other flowers have both male and female parts. The flowers are honey-scented and are arranged singly or in groups of up to 3 in leaf axils on glabrous, sticky stalks 7–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) long. There are 5 glabrous, green, tapering triangle-shaped sepals which are 1–3 mm (0.04–0.1 in) long. The 5 petals are joined at their lower end to form a tube 2–6 mm (0.08–0.2 in) long and the petal lobes on the end of the tube are a further 1.5–3 millimetres (0.06–0.1 in) long. The petals are white to cream-coloured, sometimes slightly pink near their bases. The petal lobes are similar in size and shape except for the lower middle lobe which has a small notch in its centre. The petal tube is mostly glabrous except for the inside part. There are 5 stamens, unlike most other eremophilas which have 4. The stamens almost block the entrance to the petal tube. Flowering occurs in most months and is followed by fruits which are fleshy, pale yellow at first ageing to brownish purple, oval to almost spherical and 4–6.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy

The species was first formally described in 1837 by George Bentham from an unpublished manuscript by Allan Cunningham. [6] The description was published in Stephan Endlicher's Enumeratio plantarum quas in Novae Hollandiae ora austro-occidentali ad fluvium Cygnorum et in sinu Regis Georgii collegit Carolus Liber Baro de Hügel . [7] In 1986, Robert Chinnock changed the name to Eremophila deserti. [8] The specific epithet is derived from the Latin word desertus meaning "a desert", probably named because the species was collected 'in the arid interior'". [2] [3] [9]

Distribution

Eremophila deserti is widespread in south-eastern Queensland where it often grows in brigalow, in New South Wales and Victoria in Eucalyptus woodland, and in South Australia and Western Australia in mallee woodland. The distribution is more scattered in Western Australia where it only occurs south of latitude 25°S and most often along the Nullarbor Plain. [2]

Conservation status

Eremophila deserti is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [10]

Related Research Articles

<i>Chorilaena</i> Genus of flowering plants

Chorilaena quercifolia, commonly known as karri oak or chorilaena, is a species of bushy shrub that is endemic to the karri forests of south-west Western Australia. It is the sole species in the genus Chorilaena. It has papery, broadly egg-shaped leaves with lobed edges and variously-coloured flowers arranged in umbels of five, the sepals and petals hairy on the outside and the stamens protruding beyond the petals.

<i>Verticordia pennigera</i> Species of flowering plant

Verticordia pennigera, commonly known as native tea, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is usually a small erect or prostrate shrub with small leaves and lightly-scented spikes of pale pink to magenta-coloured flowers in spring.

<i>Gompholobium huegelii</i> Species of legume

Gompholobium huegelii, commonly known as common wedge-pea is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub with trifoliate leaves and cream-coloured to yellow and greenish, pea-like flowers.

<i>Myoporum floribundum</i> Species of shrub

Myoporum floribundum, commonly known as weeping myoporum or slender myoporum, is a sour-smelling glabrous shrub in the family Scrophulariaceae endemic to a small area of New South Wales and Victoria in Australia. It has long, thin, drooping leaves and profuse white flowers in clusters along the stems in spring. Although it is uncommon in nature, it has long been available as a popular garden plant.

<i>Pomaderris ferruginea</i> Species of shrub

Pomaderris ferruginea, commonly known as rusty pomaderris, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a shrub with rusty-hairy stems, egg-shaped leaves, and clusters of cream-coloured, whitish or yellow flowers.

<i>Eutaxia parvifolia</i> Species of legume

Eutaxia parvifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to southwestern Western Australia. It is a shrub with reddish brown stems, elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and mostly yellow, red or orange flowers, with yellow red or orange markings.

<i>Myoporum caprarioides</i> Species of shrub

Myoporum caprarioides, commonly known as slender myoporum, is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae. It is a shrub with wart-like tubercles covering its branches and leaves, especially on the upper surface and white flowers spotted with mauve, or all blue-mauve, present for most of the warmer months.

<i>Darwinia vestita</i> Species of flowering plant

Darwinia vestita, commonly known as pom-pom darwinia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is an erect, bushy shrub with crowded egg-shaped, oblong, or linear leaves and more or less spherical heads of white to reddish-pink flowers.

<i>Bossiaea eriocarpa</i> Species of legume

Bossiaea eriocarpa, commonly known as common brown pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with narrow oblong or linear leaves and yellow and red flowers.

<i>Boronia cymosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia cymosa, commonly known as granite boronia, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with linear, more or less cylindrical leaves and groups of relatively small, pink four-petalled flowers arranged on branched flowering stems.

<i>Boronia falcifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia falcifolia, commonly known as the wallum boronia, is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to near-coastal areas of eastern Australia. It is a shrub with only a few stems, usually three-part leaves and bright pink, four-petalled flowers.

<i>Boronia rubiginosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia rubiginosa is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to New South Wales in Australia. It is a shrub with pinnate leaves that are paler on the lower surface, and up to three pale to bright pink, four-petalled flowers in the leaf axils.

<i>Hemiandra linearis</i> Species of flowering plant

Hemiandra linearis, commonly known as speckled snakebush, is a species of prostrate to ascending shrub that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia.

<i>Comesperma integerrimum</i> Species of plant

Comesperma integerrimum is a twining shrub or climber in the family Polygalaceae.

<i>Kennedia carinata</i> Species of legume

Kennedia carinata is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate shrub with trifoliate leaves and reddish-purple, pea-like flowers.

<i>Mirbelia spinosa</i> Plant species

Mirbelia spinosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spiny shrub with narrowly linear leaves and yellow, orange and reddish-brown flowers.

<i>Daviesia flexuosa</i> Species of legume

Daviesia flexuosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west coast of Western Australia. It is a glabrous, spreading shrub with zig-zagged branchlets, scattered, sharply-pointed, narrowly triangular phyllodes and yellow and red flowers.

<i>Lechenaultia floribunda</i> Species of flowering plant

Lechenaultia floribunda, commonly known as free-flowering leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an openly-branched shrub or subshrub with crowded, narrow, fleshy leaves and compact groups of pale blue to pale mauve or creamy white flowers.

Lasiopetalum cordifolium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with hairy stems, heart-shaped leaves and pink, cream-coloured or white flowers.

Commersonia parviflora, commonly known as small flowered rulingia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a low, prostrate or dense shrub with wrinkled, egg-shaped leaves with rounded teeth on the edges, and clusters of small, white flowers.

References

  1. "Eremophila deserti". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  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. 191–194. ISBN   9781877058165.
  3. 1 2 3 Brown, Andrew; Buirchell, Bevan (2011). A field guide to the eremophilas of Western Australia (1st ed.). Hamilton Hill, W.A.: Simon Nevill Publications. p. 87. ISBN   9780980348156.
  4. 1 2 Chinnock, Robert J. "Eremophila deserti". Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney: Plantnet. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Eremophila deserti". State Herbarium of South Australia: eflora. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  6. "Myoporum deserti". APNI. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  7. Endlicher, Stephan (1837). Enumeratio plantarum quas in Novae Hollandiae ora austro-occidentali ad fluvium Cygnorum et in sinu Regis Georgii collegit Carolus Liber Baro de Hügel. Vienna. p. 78. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  8. "Eremophila deserti". APNI. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  9. Francis Aubie Sharr (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings. Kardinya, Western Australia: Four Gables Press. p. 181. ISBN   9780958034180.
  10. "Eremophila deserti". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.