Eremophila obovata

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Eremophila obovata
Eremophila obovata plant.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. obovata
Binomial name
Eremophila obovata

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.

Contents

Description

Eremophila obovata is a compact shrub growing to a height of between 20 and 50 cm (8 and 20 in) with many branches arising from ground level. The branches are hairy with a mixture of grey, matted hairs and glandular hairs. The leaves are fan-shaped, spoon-shaped or egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 4–28 mm (0.2–1 in) long, 2–11 mm (0.08–0.4 in) wide and may be hairy or glabrous. [2] [3] [4]

The flowers are borne singly in leaf axils on a stalk 3.5–9 mm (0.1–0.4 in) long. There are 5 green, lance-shaped or triangular sepals which are mostly 5.5–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long. The petals are 16–24 mm (0.6–0.9 in) long and joined at their lower end to form a tube. The petal tube is lilac-coloured or purple on the outside and white with purple spots or streaks inside. The outside of the petal tube and the lobes may be glabrous or hairy but the inside of the lobes is glabrous while the inside of the tube is filled with woolly hairs. The 4 stamens are fully enclosed in the petal tube. Flowering occurs mainly from June to October and is followed by fruits which are oval to almost spherical with a pale yellow, papery covering and are 6.5–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

The species was first formally described in 1956 by Lindsay Stuart Smith and the description was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland . [5] The specific epithet (obovata) is derived from the Latin word meaning "ovatus" meaning "egg-shaped" [6] :580 with the prefix ob meaning "opposite", [6] :804 hence "reverse egg-shaped", referring to the shape of the leaves. [2]

In 2007, Robert Chinnock described two subspecies in his book Eremophila and Allied Genera: A Monograph of the Plant Family Myoporaceae and the names are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

Distribution and habitat

Eremophila obovata is common in the south-east of the Northern Territory and the south-west of Queensland. [2] In Western Australia it occurs between the Gary and Sandy Blight junctions on the Gary Junction Road [3] in the Gibson Desert biogeographic region. [9] In South Australia it only occurs in the extreme north-east of the Lake Eyre botanical region. [4] There is a single record from the far north-west of New South Wales. [2]

Conservation

This species is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [9] In the Northern Territory, subspecies obovata is classified as "least concern" but subspecies glabriuscula is "data efficient". [10] [11]

Use in horticulture

This small, low shrub usually has flowers present on its new growth and subspecies glabriuscula is particular has deep blue flowers and bright green foliage. It can be propagated from cuttings but it is known to sometimes sucker, it which case grafting onto Myoporum rootstock may be preferable. It grows best in well-drained soil in a sunny position and although it is drought tolerant, may benefit from an occasional deep watering in a long dry spell and respond with a flush of flowers. It will tolerate light frosts but not areas where there is high humidity. [12]

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 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 bowmanii</i>

Eremophila bowmanii, also known as silver turkeybush, Bowman's poverty bush and flannel bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to New South Wales and Queensland in Australia. It is a low to medium, spreading shrub with silvery-grey, hairy foliage and blue to lilac flowers, and sometimes grows in dense thickets with mulga.

<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 densifolia</i>

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.

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

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.

<i>Eremophila magnifica</i>

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.

<i>Eremophila ovata</i>

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.

<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.

<i>Eremophila phyllopoda</i>

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.

<i>Eremophila platycalyx</i>

Eremophila platycalyx is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with its branches and leaves covered with a layer of matted hairs, although the hairs are sometimes obscured by resin. The shape of the leaves is variable, depending on subspecies, the sepals are often brightly coloured and the petals are cream-coloured, sometimes spotted on the outside. Two subspecies have been described but others have been discovered although not as yet formally described.

<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.

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 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.

<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 obovata". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Chinnock, R.J. (Bob) (2007). Eremophila and allied genera : a monograph of the plant family Myoporaceae (1st ed.). Dural, NSW: Rosenberg. pp. 528–531. ISBN   9781877058165.
  3. 1 2 3 Brown, Andrew; Buirchell, Bevan (2011). A field guide to the eremophilas of Western Australia. Hamilton Hill, W.A.: Simon Nevill Publications. p. 193edition=1st. ISBN   9780980348156.
  4. 1 2 3 "Eremophila obovata". State Herbarium of South Australia: eflora. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  5. "Eremophila obovata". APNI. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  6. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  7. "Eremophila obovata subsp. obovata". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  8. "Eremophila obovata subsp. glabriuscula". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  9. 1 2 "Eremophila obovata". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  10. "Eremophila obovata subsp. obovata". Northern Territory Government: flora NT. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  11. "Eremophila obovata subsp. glabriuscula". Northern Territory Government: flora NT. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  12. Boschen, Norma; Goods, Maree; Wait, Russell (2008). Australia's eremophilas : changing gardens for a changing climate. Melbourne: Bloomings Books. pp. 213–214. ISBN   9781876473655.