Eremophila goodwinii

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Purple fuchsia bush
Eremophila goodwinii.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Eremophila
Species:
E. goodwinii
Binomial name
Eremophila goodwinii
Synonyms [1]
  • Bondtia goodwinii Kuntze orth. var.
  • Bontia goodwinii(F.Muell.) Kuntze
  • Eremophila goodwiniiF.Muell. var. goodwinii

Eremophila goodwinii, commonly known purple fuchsia bush and Goodwin's emu bush [2] is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a small, spreading or erect shrub with most parts sticky due to the presence of resin, tapering leaves and pale lilac to mauve flowers. It occurs in New South Wales, the Northern Territory and Queensland.

Contents

Description

Eremophila goodwinii is usually a low spreading shrub but sometimes an erect shrub growing to a height of between 0.3 and 1.5 m (1 and 5 ft) and has branches and leaves which are usually sticky due to the presence of resin. The leaves are arranged alternately along the stems and are mostly 28–58 mm (1–2 in) long, 2–4 mm (0.08–0.2 in) wide, linear to narrow lance-shaped, with margins that vary from smooth to serrated. [2] [3] [4] [5]

The flowers are borne singly or in pairs in leaf axils on a stalk, 15–30 mm (0.6–1 in) long. There are 5 overlapping, green to purplish, egg-shaped to lance-shaped sepals which are 8–15 mm (0.3–0.6 in) long and covered with mostly glandular hairs. The petals are 15–30 mm (0.6–1 in) long and are joined at their lower end to form a tube. The petal tube is pale lilac-coloured to mauve on the outside and white with dark lines on the inside. The outside of the tube and petal lobes are hairy, the inside of the lobes is glabrous and the inside of the tube is woolly. The 4 stamens are fully enclosed in the petal tube. Flowering occurs throughout the year and is followed by fruits which oval-shaped to almost spherical, 8–11 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and have a hairy, papery covering. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy and naming

The species was first formally described in 1859 by Ferdinand von Mueller and the description was published in Report on the Plants Collected During Mr. Babbage's Expedition into the North West Interior of South Australia in 1858. [6] [7] The specific epithet (goodwinii) honours Reverend Thomas Hill Goodwin who assisted John Dallachy, who collected the type specimen near Mount Murchison on the Murray River. [3] [7]

In 2007, Robert Chinnock described two subspecies in his book Eremophila and allied genera and the names are accepted at the Australian Plant Census:

Distribution and habitat

In New South Wales, this species is common on the central west slopes north of Parkes, the north-west plains and far north-west plains where it grows on red earths, on level sand and on rocky hillsides. [4] [5] It also occurs in nearby areas in Queensland and scattered populations further north in that state. It is also found in southern central Northern Territory and a small adjacent area of the Central Ranges biogeographic region in Western Australia. [2] [3] [10]

Ecology

Purple fuchsia bush is a common species, sometimes occurring in dense stands but it is not considered a useful forage plant for livestock. [5]

Conservation status

Eremophila goodwinii is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife, [10] and of "least concern" in the Northern Territory [11] and Queensland. [12]

Uses

Indigenous use

Aboriginal people used a decoction of the leaves of this species as a medicinal wash. The leaves are reported to have purgative properties. [13] [14]

Use inorticulture

This eremophila is an attractive shrub but is sometimes short-lived in gardens. It can be propagated from cuttings or by grafting onto Myoporum rootstock. It grows best in full sun and a well-drained soil (if grown on its own roots) but is drought tolerant. It can be damaged by heavy frost but light pruning to remove damaged wood or to help maintain its shape is beneficial. [15]

Related Research Articles

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

Eremophila divaricata, also known as spreading emu bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a shrub with stiff, spreading, tangled branches which are often spiny on their ends, erect leaves and mauve to lilac-coloured flowers.

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

Eremophila maculata, also known as spotted emu bush or spotted fuchsia-bush, is a plant in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae, and is endemic to Australia. It is the most widespread of its genus in nature and probably the most frequently cultivated Eremophila. It is a spreading, often densely branched shrub with variable leaf shape and flower colour, but the other features of the flowers such as the size and shape of the parts are consistent. The inside of the flower is often, but not always, spotted.

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

Eremophila oppositifolia, commonly known as weeooka, twin-leaf emu bush and mountain sandalwood, is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae, and is endemic to Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with its leaves arranged in opposite pairs and has cream to red or sometimes maroon coloured flowers. It occurs in all mainland states, but not the Northern Territory.

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

Eremophila latrobei, commonly known as crimson turkey bush, native fuchsia, Latrobe's emu bush, grey fuchsia bush, warty fuchsia bush and Georgina poison bush is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is an erect, highly branched shrub with usually linear leaves and red to purple-red flowers and which occurs in all mainland states, including the Northern Territory but excluding Victoria.

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

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 macdonnellii</i> Species of plant

Eremophila macdonnellii, also known as MacDonnell's desert fuchsia, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a shrub with many tangled branches, which, along with the leaves, are often covered with many, sometimes long hairs. The flowers are deep violet or purple, and the species is widespread in Central Australia.

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

Eremophila decipiens, commonly known as slender fuchsia bush or narrow-leaved fuchsia bush is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to an area extending from the south-west of Western Australia to southern parts of South Australia. It is low, sprawling shrub with lance-shaped leaves and red, orange or yellow flowers on a long, S-shaped stalk.

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

Eremophila hughesii is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is spindly, glabrous shrub with narrow leaves and with flowers that vary in colour from blue to pink, sometimes white. It is native to Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

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

Eremophila dalyana, commonly known as gidgee fuchsia bush, desert fuchsia or ilpengk by Alyawarre people in the Utopia homeland in Central Australia, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to an area of central Australia. It is a broom-like shrub or small tree with thin leaves and pale pink to white flowers. It is found in south-western Queensland, the extreme north east of South Australia and in a small area in the Northern Territory.

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

Eremophila densifolia is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is usually a low, spreading shrub with densely clustered leaves and lilac to purple flowers.

Eremophila elderi, commonly known as aromatic emu bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae. It is endemic to central Australia where it grows near the border between Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory. It is an erect, aromatic shrub with sticky leaves and branches and usually pale coloured to white flowers. Its specific epithet (elderi) honours an early Australian businessman, Thomas Elder.

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

Eremophila gilesii, commonly known Charleville turkey bush, green turkey bush, desert fuchsia and Giles emu bush is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is usually a low, spreading shrub with pinkish-lilac to purple flowers and is widespread in the Northern Territory and all mainland states except Victoria. It is considered a difficult agricultural weed in some parts of Queensland but is often used as a bush medicine by Aboriginal people.

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

Eremophila obovata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a low, compact shrub with lilac to purple flowers growing mainly in the Northern Territory and Queensland but also Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales.

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

Eremophila ovata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the Northern Territory. It is a small, spreading, rounded shrub with hairy branches and leaves and pink or purple flowers which are white inside.

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

Eremophila paisleyi is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a rounded, broom-shaped shrub with white or lilac-coloured flowers which occurs in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

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.

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

Eremophila platythamnos, commonly known as desert foxglove, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is an erect shrub with short, broad leaves and purple, mauve, blue or pink flowers.

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

Eremophila ternifolia, commonly known as Wongan eremophila is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a low, many-branched, shrub with short, pointed leaves and small lilac-coloured or mauve flowers.

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

Eremophila tietkensii is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a rounded to flat-topped shrub with grey-green leaves, usually pinkish-purple sepals and mauve, pink or lilac-coloured petals. It is mostly found in Western Australia but also occurs in the far west of the Northern Territory.

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

Eremophila willsii is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is an erect shrub with bright green, often serrated leaves and pinkish to deep pinkish-purple petals. It is mainly found in Western Australia, the Northern Territory and South Australia in deep sand.

References

  1. 1 2 "Eremophila goodwinii". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Chinnock, R.J. (Bob) (2007). Eremophila and allied genera : a monograph of the plant family Myoporaceae (1st ed.). Dural, NSW: Rosenberg. pp. 344–346. 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. 140. ISBN   9780980348156.
  4. 1 2 3 Chinnock, Robert J. "Eremophila goodwinii". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney: Plantnet. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Cunningham, Geoffrey McIver; Mulham, William E.; Milthorpe, Peter L.; Leigh, John H. (2011). Plants of western New South Wales (Reprinted. ed.). Collingwood, VIC.: CSIRO Publishing. p. 612. ISBN   9780643103634.
  6. ↑ "Eremophila goodwinii". APNI. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  7. 1 2 von Mueller, Ferdinand (1859). Report on the Plants Collected During Mr. Babbage's Expedition into the North West Interior of South Australia in 1858 (PDF). Melbourne. pp. 17–18. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  8. ↑ "Eremophila goodwinii subsp. ecapitata". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  9. ↑ "Eremophila goodwinii subsp. goodwinii". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  10. 1 2 "Eremophila goodwinii". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  11. ↑ "Eremophila goodwinii". Northern Territory Government: flora NT. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  12. ↑ "Eremophila goodwinii subsp. goodwinii". The State of Queensland (Department of Environment and Heritage Protection). Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  13. ↑ Quattrocchi, Umberto (2014). CRC world dictionary of medicinal and poisonous plants. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. p. 1600. ISBN   9781482250640.
  14. ↑ Williams, Cheryll J. (2013). Medicinal plants in Australia. Kenthurst, N.S.W.: Rosenberg Publishing. p. 315. ISBN   9781922013507.
  15. ↑ Boschen, Norma; Goods, Maree; Wait, Russell (2008). Australia's eremophilas : changing gardens for a changing climate. Melbourne: Bloomings Books. pp. 106–107. ISBN   9781876473655.
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