Eremophila linearis

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Harlequin fuchsia bush
Eremophila linearis (leaves and flowers).jpg
Eremophila linearis leaves and flowers
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Eremophila
Species:
E. linearis
Binomial name
Eremophila linearis

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

Contents

Description

Eremophila linearis is a glabrous shrub with sticky, shiny leaves and branches due to the presence of large amounts of resin. It grows to a height of between 1 and 4 m (3 and 10 ft) and its branches are thin with persistent leaf bases. The leaves are arranged alternately and densely clustered near the ends of the branches. They are mostly 30–40 mm (1–2 in) long, 3–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide, linear to lance-shaped and covered with small raised resin glands. [2] [3]

The flowers are borne singly in leaf axils on a hairy stalk which is usually 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in) long. There are 5 sticky, overlapping, glabrous sepals which are mostly 10–15 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long but which enlarge to 15–20 mm (0.6–0.8 in) after flowering. The petals are 25–35 mm (0.98–1.4 in) long and are joined at their lower end to form a tube. The tube is bright red to orange-red on the top and yellow below and inside the tube. The outside of the petal tube usually has scattered hairs but the inside surface of the lobes is glabrous while there are some long hairs inside the tube. The 4 stamens extend beyond the end of the petal tube. Flowering occurs between March and December and the fruits which follow are dry, ovoid to conical in shape with a pointed end and a papery covering and are 7.5–13 mm (0.3–0.5 in) long. [2] [3]

E. linearis growing near Karalundi Eremophila linearis (habit).jpg
E. linearis growing near Karalundi
E. linearis flower detail Eremophila linearis (floral tube).jpg
E. linearis flower detail

Taxonomy and naming

Eremophila linearis was first formally described by botanist Robert Chinnock in Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Garden in 1980. [4] [5] The specific epithet (linearis) is a Latin word meaning "linear". [6]

Distribution

Harlequin fuchsia bush is widespread in central Western Australia, especially between Meekatharra and Newman [2] in the Gascoyne and Murchison biogeographic regions. [7] It grows in clay-loam or sandy loam in depressions, river flats and rocky slopes. [3]

Conservation status

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

Use in horticulture

Harlequin fuchsia bush is a compact, slow-growing but long lived shrub with bright green foliage and red flowers. Its growth habit makes it suitable as a windbreak or screening plant. It is one of the eremophilas that can be propagated from seed but only with difficulty from cuttings. Unless propagated by grafting onto Myoporum rootstock, it needs well-drained soil. It will grow in full sun or filtered shade and only requires occasional watering during a long drought. It will tolerate frost although severe frosts may damage branches that should be removed when the weather warms in spring. [8]

Related Research Articles

<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 lactea</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremophila lactea, commonly known as milky emu bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with its branches and leaves mostly glabrous but with white blotches due to the presence of dry resin. It is a critically endangered plant species mostly found in disturbed areas such as roadsides.

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

Eremophila scaberula, commonly known as rough emu bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae, and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a low growing, heath-like shrub with crowded leaves and which produces solitary pale to dark purple flowers in the leaf axils predominantly between July and October in its native range.

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

Eremophila duttonii, commonly known as budda or harlequin fuchsia bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to mainland Australia where it occurs in all the mainland states except Victoria. It is a shrub or small tree with dark green, sticky leaves and flowers that are red on top fading to yellow-green below. Extracts from this plant have been shown to have significant antimicrobial activity.

Eremophila cryptothrix is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It is a shrub with sticky stems due to the presence of resin, narrow leaves, coloured sepals and white, pale pink or pale blue flowers.

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

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.

<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.

Eremophila humilis is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a low, rounded shrub with club-shaped leaves and white bell-shaped flowers and which is only found in a restricted area near Meekatharra.

Eremophila lucida, commonly known as shining poverty bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with sticky, shiny leaves and branches and with flowers that are either red with darker red blotches inside or cream-coloured without spots or blotches.

Eremophila papillata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, compact shrub with sticky, narrow leaves and mauve, blue or purple, rarely white flowers.

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

Eremophila parvifolia is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a shrub which has small, usually egg-shaped leaves and blackish flower buds which open to purple flowers which are white with purple spots inside. There are two subspecies, both of which are found in Western Australia and one which is also found in South Australia.

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 praecox is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a small, broom-like shrub with small leaves and purple and 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.

Eremophila rostrata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with cylinder-shaped leaves, small sepals and glabrous, pink to deep red petals. There are two subspecies, both of which are critically endangered.

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

Eremophila sargentii is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with sticky, shiny foliage, small leaves and mauve or blue 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.

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

Eremophila spectabilis, commonly known as showy poverty bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a dense, erect shrub with narrow, greyish leaves and blue, mauve or purple flowers.

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

Eremophila veneta, commonly known as metallic-flowered eremophila is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a low, spreading, sticky shrub with dark green leaves and bluish-green petals.

Eremophila vernicosa, commonly known as resinous poverty bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with its glabrous leaves and branches appearing varnished due to a thick covering of resin. It has small leaves and white to pale mauve flowers.

References

  1. ↑ "Eremophila linearis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 9 September 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. 647–649. 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. 168. ISBN   9780980348156.
  4. ↑ "Eremophila linearis". APNI. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  5. ↑ Chinnock, Robert J. (1980). "Five new species of Eremophila (Myoporaceae) from Western Australia". Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Garden. 2 (3): 261–263.
  6. ↑ Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 485.
  7. 1 2 "Eremophila linearis". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  8. ↑ Boschen, Norma; Goods, Maree; Wait, Russell (2008). Australia's eremophilas : changing gardens for a changing climate. Melbourne: Bloomings Books. pp. 118–119. ISBN   9781876473655.
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