| Eremophila ionantha | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Scrophulariaceae |
| Genus: | Eremophila |
| Species: | E. ionantha |
| Binomial name | |
| Eremophila ionantha | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
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Eremophila ionantha is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with many sticky branches, narrow, light green leaves and blue, purple or violet flowers.
Eremophila ionantha is an erect shrub growing to a height of between 0.4 and 2.5 m (1 and 8 ft) with many spreading or ascending branches. The branches are sticky due to the presence of resin and have many small, wart-like lumps and glandular hairs. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs along the branches and are light, olive-green in colour, linear in shape, mostly 9–30 mm (0.4–1 in) long and about 1.0 mm (0.04 in) wide, curved, sometimes S-shaped and sticky, at least when young. [2] [3]
The flowers are borne singly or in pairs on a glabrous, sticky stalk usually 4–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long. There are 5 green, tinged reddish-brown sepals which are linear to narrow-triangular in shape, mostly 2.5–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and hairy on the inner surface only. The petals are 15–28 mm (0.6–1 in) long and are joined at their lower end to form a tube. The flower buds are brown but when it opens the petal tube is pale lilac-coloured to violet on the outside and white to pale lilac inside. The outside surface of the petal tube is glabrous and often shiny but the middle part of the lower petal lobe and the inside of the petal tube are covered with matted hairs. The 4 stamens are fully enclosed in the petal tube. Flowering occurs from late September to February and is followed by hairy, woody, oval-shaped or cone-shaped fruits with a pointed end. The fruits are about 5 mm (0.2 in) long. [2] [3]
Eremophila ionantha was first formally described in 1905 by Ludwig Diels and Ernst Georg Pritzel and the description was published in Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie. [4] [5] The specific epithet (ionantha) is derived from Ancient Greek adjective, ion, meaning "violet", and the noun, anthos, meaning "flower". [6]
E. ionantha grows in Eucalyptus woodland between Merredin and Balladonia in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Esperance Plains, Mallee and Murchison biogeographic regions. [7] [8]
This species is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [7]
This eremophila is a hardy plant needing little maintenance and is long lived - garden specimens of this species have been known to survive for more than 40 years. It is a medium-sized shrub with attractive blue to purple flowers. It can be propagated easily from cuttings taken at any time of the year and will grow in most soils, including heavy clay. It will grow in full sun or heavy shade, is both drought and frost tolerant, is tolerant of windy conditions and useful as a low-density windbreak. [9] [10]
Eucalyptus eremophila, commonly known as the sand mallet or tall sand mallee, is a species of mallet that is endemic to semi-arid regions of Western Australia. It has smooth pale brown and greyish bark, narrow lance-shaped to elliptical adult leaves, flower buds arranged in groups of between seven and eleven with an elongated operculum, and cup-shaped to barrel-shaped fruit.
Eremophila dichroantha, also known as bale-hook eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with many ascending branches making the plant appear broom-like. It has small, hooked leaves and small, though abundant, violet to lilac-coloured flowers.
Melaleuca cliffortioides is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, prickly shrub very similar to Melaleuca podiocarpa but with fewer stamens in the flowers.
Melaleuca depressa is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, bushy shrub with clusters of yellow or cream flowers on the ends of its branches in spring.
Eremophila calorhabdos, commonly known as red rod or spiked eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a distinctive shrub with erect, rod-like branches up to 2.5 m (8 ft) high, leaves with small teeth along the edges, and flowers that change from orange to lipstick pink as they open.
Eremophila chamaephila, commonly known as earth-loving poverty bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, dense, spreading shrub with small, fleshy leaves and mauve to purple flowers.
Eremophila georgei is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a common, widespread shrub in central areas of the state, often growing on rocky ridges and hillsides and has serrated leaves and mauve, purple or pink flowers.
Eremophila interstans is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a shrub or small tree found in Western Australia and South Australia and has narrow leaves with a hooked end, and white or cream-coloured flowers.
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.
Verticordia muelleriana is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an openly branched shrub with relatively large, egg-shaped to circular leaves and long spikes of deep maroon coloured flowers in spring and early summer.
Grevillea eremophila is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with leathery, linear to narrowly egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and creamy-white flowers.
Grevillea inconspicua, commonly known as Cue grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the central-west of Western Australia. It is a prickly, densely-branched shrub with linear leaves and clusters of off-white to silvery grey flowers.
Kunzea montana, commonly known as mountain kunzea, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with more or less round leaves and heads of cream-coloured to pale yellow flowers on the ends of the branches in late spring. It is an uncommon species, growing on rocky mountain slopes, but all populations are conserved in the Stirling Range National Park.
Leucopogon tamminensis is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a slender shrub with many branches, overlapping triangular to egg-shaped leaves and white, tube-shaped flower arranged singly in upper leaf axils.
Goodenia eremophila is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to inland areas of Western Australia. It is an ascending herb with linear to elliptic leaves and thyrses of blue flowers.
Hibbertia silvestris is a species of flowering plant in the family Dilleniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate to more or less erect or spreading shrub with hairy young branchlets, elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and yellow flowers with seven to ten stamens on one side of two softly-hairy carpels.
Daviesia dielsii, commonly known as Diels' daviesia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is on intricately-branched shrub with sharply-pointed, egg-shaped, vertically compressed phyllodes, and yellow and red flowers.
Lechenaultia juncea, commonly known as reed-like leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, perennial herb or shrub with crowded, fleshy leaves, and pale blue flowers.
Lasiopetalum microcardium is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, spreading or straggling shrub with hairy stems, heart-shaped leaves and blue, purple or white flowers.
Thomasia dielsii is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, erect to spreading shrub with egg-shaped leaves with wavy edges, and purple, violet and blue flowers.