Eremophila gibbosa

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Humped fuchsia bush
Eremophila gibbosa (leaves and flowers).jpg
Eremophila gibbosa leaves and flowers
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Eremophila
Species:
E. gibbosa
Binomial name
Eremophila gibbosa

Eremophila gibbosa, commonly known as humped fuchsia bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with broad, shiny, sticky leaves and yellowish-green flowers and which often forms dense thickets.

Contents

Description

Eremophila gibbosa is a shrub growing to between 0.5 and 3.5 metres (2 and 10 ft) tall with many shiny, erect branches. It has the ability to sucker, sometimes forming dense thickets. Its leaves are arranged alternately and are elliptic to egg-shaped, mostly 15–35 mm (0.6–1 in) long, 7–18 mm (0.3–0.7 in) wide with a stalk 4–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. [2] [3]

The flowers are borne singly in leaf axils on a sticky, S-shaped stalk 10–15 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long. There are 5 overlapping green or purple sepals which are mostly 6.5–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) long and glabrous except for a dense tuft of matted white hairs near their ends. The petals are 20–30 mm (0.8–1 in) long and joined at their lower end to form a tube. The tube is yellowish-green and covered with glandular hairs on both the inside and outside. The 4 stamens extend beyond the end of the tube. Flowering occurs from May to September and is followed by fruits which are dry, woody and almost spherical with a pointed tip and are 3–4 millimetres (0.1–0.2 in) in diameter. [2] [3]

E. gibbosa growing on the edge of Lake Cowan near Norseman Eremophila gibbosa (habit).jpg
E. gibbosa growing on the edge of Lake Cowan near Norseman

Taxonomy and naming

Eremophila gibbosa was first formally described by Robert Chinnock in 1979 and the description was published in Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Garden. [4] [5] The specific epithet (gibbosa) is a Latin word meaning "humpbacked", "humped", "crooked" or "bent" [6] referring to the shape of the fruits of this species. [2]

Distribution and habitat

This eremophila often grows on clay loam in disturbed areas such as those affected by fire. It occurs between Balladonia and Lake Johnston [3] in the Coolgardie biogeographic region. [7] [8]

Conservation status

Humped fuchsia bush is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [7]

Use in horticulture

The unusual foliage of this eremophila is an attractive feature as are the small blue to purple flowers. It is suitable for a small garden or as a container plant. It can be propagated from cuttings but may perform better if grafted onto Myoporum rootstock. The grafted form will grow in most soils. The shrub is tolerant of drought and frost but benefits from an occasional watering during dry periods. [9]

Related Research Articles

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Eremophila freelingii, commonly known as limestone fuchsia or rock fuchsia bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a shrub with sticky, hairy, lance-shaped leaves and flowers a shade of light to dark lilac and which occurs in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia.

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

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

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

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Eremophila conglomerata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to central areas of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with small, serrated leaves and mauve to blue flowers that extend well beyond the foliage.

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 falcata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a widely distributed shrub with distinctive curved leaves and white, lilac-coloured or pink flowers.

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

Eremophila flabellata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small shrub with serrated leaves, broad serrated sepals and pink, purple or mauve flowers.

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

Eremophila flaccida is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with sticky, shiny foliage and large, attractive flowers. There are two subspecies, one common and relatively widespread, the other known from only a few locations.

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

Eremophila foliosissima, commonly known as poverty bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small, erect, densely foliaged shrub with long, narrow, hairy leaves and mauve to purple flowers. It is similar to Eremophila gilesii but is more dense and rounded, has more crowded leaves and has different hairs on the flowers.

<i>Eremophila glandulifera</i> Species of plant endemic to Western Australia

Eremophila glandulifera is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small shrub with hairy, grey foliage and attractive deep pink to red flowers usually growing in mulga woodland.

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

Eremophila glutinosa, commonly known as sticky emu bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, densely foliaged shrub with branches and leaves sticky and shiny due to the presence of resin. It has hairy sepals and lilac-coloured flowers.

<i>Eremophila labrosa</i> Species of plant endemic to Western Australia

Eremophila labrosa is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with many hairy branches arising from near ground level, narrow, hooked leaves and mauve and blue flowers.

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

Eremophila lanceolata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with foliage which is shiny when young, angular branches and lilac to purple flowers and which grows in the north-west of Western Australia.

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

Eremophila linearis, commonly known as harlequin fuchsia bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with long leaves, sticky, shiny leaves and branches and bright red flowers

Eremophila micrantha, commonly known as small-flowered poverty bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a rounded shrub with many thin, flexible branches, narrow leaves and small white flowers.

Eremophila prostrata, commonly known as Rainbow Valley fuchsia bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the Northern Territory. It is a prostrate shrub with glabrous branches and leaves and purple flowers. It occurs as a few scattered populations with a total area of less than 50 ha.

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

Eremophila serrulata, commonly known as serrate-leaved eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub whose leaves are sticky and have small serrations, and flowers that have green, yellowish-green or yellowish-brown petals.

<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.

Eremophila succinea is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, broom-shaped shrub with sticky, narrow, hooked leaves, narrow, sticky sepals and hairy, pale purple or mauve petals.

References

  1. "Eremophila gibbosa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 3 May 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. 607–609. 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. 113. ISBN   9780980348156.
  4. "Eremophila gibbosa". APNI. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  5. Chinnock, Robert J. (2 April 1979). "Ten new species of Eremophila (Myoporaceae) from Central and Western Australia" (PDF). Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Garden. 1 (4): 248–250. JSTOR   23872160.
  6. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 139.
  7. 1 2 "Eremophila gibbosa". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  8. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue . Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 336. ISBN   0646402439.
  9. Boschen, Norma; Goods, Maree; Wait, Russell (2008). Australia's eremophilas : changing gardens for a changing climate. Melbourne: Bloomings Books. pp. 203–204. ISBN   9781876473655.