Eremophila hillii

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Hill's emu bush
Eremophila hillii.jpg
Status DECF P4.svg
Priority Four — Rare 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. hillii
Binomial name
Eremophila hillii

Eremophila hillii, commonly known as Hill's emu bush, [2] is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the Nullarbor Plain in Australia. It is a dense shrub with many tangled branches, densely hairy stems, leaves and sepals and red or yellow petals.

Contents

Description

Eremophila hillii is a dense, sometimes erect, others spreading shrub with many tangled branches and which grows to a height of less than 0.8 m (3 ft). Its branches are densely covered with white or pale grey branched hairs, at least when young but become glabrous as they age. The leaves are densely crowded near the tips of the branches and are covered with a dense layer of branched hairs when young, becoming glabrous as they age. They are mostly 8–18 mm (0.3–0.7 in) long, 4–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) wide, egg-shaped to almost circular and usually have a few rounded teeth on the margins. [2] [3] [4] [5]

The flowers are borne singly in leaf axils on a densely hairy stalk 1–4 mm (0.04–0.2 in) long. There are 5 sepals, differing in size and from each other, linear to egg-shaped and mostly 4–16 mm (0.2–0.6 in) long. The petals are 20–35 mm (0.8–1 in) long and are joined at their lower end to form a tube. The petal tube is red or orange-red, sometimes yellow and both the inside and outside of the tube have scattered glandular hairs. The 4 stamens extend beyond the end of the petal tube. Flowering occurs from July to September and is followed by fruits which are dry, oval-shaped with a glabrous, papery covering and are 5.5–7.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy and naming

The species was first formally described in 1967 by Elizabeth Anne Shaw and the description was published in Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia . [6] [4] The specific epithet (hillii) honours "Ronald Hill of the Adelaide Botanic Garden". [4]

Distribution and habitat

E. hillii grows in stony clay and calcareous soils in isolated populations growing on the Nullarbour Plain in South Australia and Western Australia. [7] [8]

Conservation status

Eremophila hillii is classified as "Priority Four" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife, [7] meaning that is rare or near threatened. [9]

Use in horticulture

Hill's emubush is a hardy and reliable shrub and some specimens have been in cultivation for up to 40 years. The bright red and orange-yellow forms make an attractive contrast when planted together. It can be propagated easily from cuttings and grown in a wide range of soils, including clay although it prefers a sunny aspect. It is both drought tolerant and frost resistant. [10]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Eremophila miniata</i> species of plant

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<i>Eremophila attenuata</i> species of plant

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

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<i>Eremophila labrosa</i> species of plant

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<i>Eremophila lachnocalyx</i> species of plant

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Eremophila lanata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small shrub with small, hairy leaves, densely hairy sepals and lilac to pinkish flowers.

<i>Eremophila malacoides</i> species of plant

Eremophila malacoides, commonly known as frontage poverty bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with grey-green foliage, densely hairy leaves, and usually lilac to purple flowers but a yellow flowered form also occurs.

Eremophila pilosa is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small shrub with many tangled branches, with its leaves and branches densely covered with hairs and which has mauve or purple flowers. It occurs in a restricted area in the Pilbara.

<i>Eremophila punicea</i> species of plant

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<i>Eremophila purpurascens</i> species of 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.

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<i>Eremophila rigens</i> species of plant

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<i>Eremophila spathulata</i> species of plant

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<i>Eremophila splendens</i> species of plant

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Eremophila spongiocarpa is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a compact shrub with many tangled branches, flattened, succulent leaves, hairy sepals and creamy white petals which are spotted red on the inside.

<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. ↑ "Eremophila hillii". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 23 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. 599–601. ISBN   9781877058165.
  3. 1 2 Brown, Andrew; Buirchell, Bevan (2011). A field guide to the eremophilas of Western Australia (1st ed.). Hamilton Hill, W.A.: Simon Nevill Publications. p. 145. ISBN   9780980348156.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Shaw, Elizabeth Anne (1967). "A new species of Eremophila from South Australia". Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia. 91: 111–114. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Eremophila hillii". State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  6. ↑ "Eremophila hillii". APNI. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  7. 1 2 "Eremophila hillii". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  8. ↑ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue . Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 337. ISBN   0646402439.
  9. ↑ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  10. ↑ Boschen, Norma; Goods, Maree; Wait, Russell (2008). Australia's eremophilas : changing gardens for a changing climate. Melbourne: Bloomings Books. pp. 108–110. ISBN   9781876473655.
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