Eremophila jucunda | |
---|---|
Eremophila jucunda subsp. jucunda leaves and flower | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Scrophulariaceae |
Genus: | Eremophila |
Species: | E. jucunda |
Binomial name | |
Eremophila jucunda | |
Eremophila jucunda is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small to medium-sized shrub with hairy branches and leaves, lance-shaped to egg-shaped leaves and cream-coloured, lilac or purple flowers.
Eremophila jucunda is a small to medium shrub, depending on its habitat, growing to about 0.4 m (1 ft) tall on hard, stony clay to 0.8 m (3 ft) on hillsides. Its branches and leaves are covered with grey or lemon-yellow branched hairs, especially densely when young. The leaves are lance-shaped to egg-shaped, mostly 8.5–20 mm (0.3–0.8 in) long and 2.5–5.5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide. [2] [3]
The flowers are borne singly in leaf axils on a stalk 3–9 mm (0.1–0.4 in) long covered in hairs similar to those on the leaves. There are 5 pale yellowish-green to purplish-brown, linear to lance-shaped sepals which are mostly 9.5–17 mm (0.4–0.7 in) long but which enlarge after flowering. The sepals are covered with hairs similar to those on the young leaves. The petals are 17.5–28.5 mm (0.7–1 in) long and are joined at their lower end to form a tube. The petal tube may be white, cream-coloured, violet or purple on the outside and white, sometimes with purple spots inside. The outer surface of the petal tube and its lobes are mostly glabrous but the inside of the tube is filled with long hairs. The 4 stamens are fully enclosed in the petal tube. Flowering occurs from July to September and is followed by oval-shaped to conical fruits with a pointed end and which are 5–8.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. [2] [3]
The species was first formally described by Robert Chinnock in 2007 and the description was published in Eremophila and Allied Genera: A Monograph of the Plant Family Myoporaceae. [4] The specific epithet (jucunda) is a Latin word meaning "pleasant", "agreeable" or "delightful". [5]
Two subspecies are recognized in the Australian Plant Census:
Eremophila jucunda subsp. jucunda is widespread on hills, ranges and plains between Sandstone and Mount Vernon in the Gascoyne, Murchison, Pilbara and Yalgoo biogeographic regions. [8] [9] Subspecies pulcherrima grows mostly on slopes and rocky hills between Paraburdoo and Newman in the Gascoyne, Murchison and Pilbara biogeographic regions. [9] [10]
Both subspecies of E. jucunda are classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [11]
This eremophila grows best in warm inland areas - in southern Australia it tends to be prone to fungal disease. It can be propagated most easily by grafting onto Myoporum rootstock and grown in well-drained soils in full sun. It needs only occasional watering during a long drought but is sensitive to frost which can damaged the stems. [12]
Eremophila fraseri, commonly known as burra or jilarnu, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with all above-ground parts of the plant, apart from the petals, sticky and shiny due to the presence of a large amount of resin. The petals are coloured white, cream, pink and brown.
Eremophila mackinlayi, commonly known as desert pride, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with its branches and leaves covered with a thick layer of yellow to grey hairs, mostly egg-shaped leaves and deep lilac-coloured to purple flowers. It is most closely related to E. strongylophylla and E. hygrophana and sometimes occurs in the same areas as these species.
Eremophila citrina is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the centre of Western Australia. It is a dense, rounded shrub with yellow new growth, crowded leaves and lilac-coloured to light purple flowers.
Eremophila compacta, commonly known as compact poverty bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the central west of Western Australia. There are two distinct subspecies differing in their growth habit but both have grey leaves due to a covering of white or grey hairs, and purple to blue, rarely white flowers.
Eremophila decussata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is only known from several small, disjunct areas in Western Australia and South Australia. It is small, spreading, silvery-grey shrub with soft leaves and lilac-coloured flowers with spots or streaks of purple inside the flower.
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 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.
Eremophila magnifica is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with large, clustered leaves and large, attractive lilac-coloured or purple flowers, sometimes so densely clustered that they appear like compound heads of terminal flowers.
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.
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.
Eremophila phyllopoda is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub, sometimes round or flat-topped with sticky, hairy leaves and flowers ranging in colour from pink or lilac to purple.
Eremophila prolata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with a rounded top, prominently ridged, hairy branches, narrow leaves and white to deep lilac-coloured flowers.
Eremophila retropila is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, spreading shrub with hairy, greyish leaves crowded at the ends of the branches, and lilac or violet-coloured flowers which are white inside.
Eremophila rigens is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with long, stiff, glabrous leaves and pale lilac-coloured to white flowers.
Eremophila shonae is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub or a low spreading shrub, depending on subspecies and has very sticky branches and leaves due to the presence of large amounts of resin. The leaves are narrow and the flowers are mauve to purple and white inside with purple spots.
Eremophila simulans is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with broad, serrated leaves and violet to purple flowers.
Eremophila verrucosa is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is an erect, broom-shaped shrub with its leaves and branches covered with yellow-grey scales and lilac to purple flowers.
Eremophila warnesii is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, compact shrub with furry leaves, hairy sepals and blue to mauve petals. It is a little-known species, named after the founder of the Eremophila Study Group.
Eremophila jucunda subsp. jucunda is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small shrub with hairy leaves and white to violet flowers often growing on stony hillsides. It is similar to subspecies pulcherrima but is distinguished from it by its yellow new growth and more southerly distribution.
Eremophila jucunda subsp. pulcherrima is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small shrub with grey, hairy leaves and sepals and blue or mauve flowers often growing in stony places. It is similar to subspecies jucunda but is distinguished from it by its grey new growth and more northerly distribution.