Eremophila psilocalyx

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Eremophila psilocalyx
Eremophila psilocalyx (leaves and flowers).jpg
Eremophila psilocalyx 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. psilocalyx
Binomial name
Eremophila psilocalyx
Synonyms [1]
  • Eremophila pachyphylla Diels

Eremophila psilocalyx is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with a broom-like shape, narrow, hooked leaves and white, pink, blue or purple flowers. It is common in the mallee country around Esperance. It was sometimes incorrectly known as Eremophila pachyphylla.

Contents

Description

Eremophila psilocalyx is an erect shrub which grows to a height of 0.8–3 m (3–10 ft) with many branches beginning at ground level. Its branches are glabrous and have raised, warty lumps, and resin secreting glands, making them sticky near their ends. The leaves are arranged alternately along the branches, narrow elliptic to lance-shaped tapering at the lower end, and with a hook at the far end. They are mostly 11–26 mm (0.4–1 in) long, 2–4 mm (0.08–0.2 in) wide, glabrous, and sticky when young. [2] [3] [4]

The flowers are borne singly or in pairs in leaf axils on a glabrous, sticky stalk 3–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long. There are 5 overlapping, cream to purple, lance-shaped sepals which are 6–11 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long and mostly glabrous. The petals are 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in) long and are joined at their lower end to form a tube. The petal tube is white to lilac-coloured, sometimes pink, blue or purple, and white inside with yellow-brown spots. The petal tube and lobes are glabrous apart from the inside of the lower petal lobe and the inside of the tube which have long, soft hairs. The 4 stamens are fully enclosed in the petal tube. Flowering occurs from July to October, sometimes to December and the fruits which follow are dry, oval-shaped and 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long. [2] [3] [4]

E. psilocalyx growing south of Widgiemooltha Eremophila psilocalyx (habit).jpg
E. psilocalyx growing south of Widgiemooltha

Taxonomy and naming

The species was first formally described by Ferdinand von Mueller in 1876 and the description was published in Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae . [5] [6] The specific epithet (psilocalyx) is derived from the Ancient Greek ψῑλός (psīlós) meaning "smooth" or "bare" [7] :722 and κάλυξ (kálux) meaning "cup" or "cover" [7] :181 referring to the glabrous sepals. [3]

The species was named Eremophila pachyphylla by Ludwig Diels who was apparently unaware that the species had been described earlier. [3]

Distribution and habitat

Eremophila psilocalyx is a widespread and common species between Lake King and Balladonia [3] in the Coolgardie, Esperance Plains, Mallee and Murchison biogeographic regions [8] where it grows in a range of soils on plains, saltpans and rocky hillsides. [2] [3] [9]

Conservation

This species is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [8]

Use in horticulture

This species is not often cultivated but its prolific flowers, neat shape and the tendency of the colourful sepals to remain on the plant long after flowering make it a suitable species for wider use. [4] [10] It can be propagated from cuttings but may be very slow to strike, taking up to a year to develop roots. It is more easily grown by grafting onto Myoporum rootstock and will grow in most soils in a sunny or part-shaded position. It is very drought tolerant and moderately frost resistant. [11]

Related Research Articles

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

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

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

Eremophila hughesii is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is spindly, glabrous shrub with narrow leaves and with flowers that vary in colour from blue to pink, sometimes white. It is native to Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

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

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

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

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

Eremophila drummondii, commonly known as Drummond's eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a variable shrub, usually with sticky branches and leaves, long, thin leaves and mauve or purple flowers in spring.

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

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

Eremophila gibsonii is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a sticky, glabrous, rounded shrub with narrow leaves and white to lilac-coloured flowers and which occurs in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

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

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

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<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.

<i>Pityrodia chrysocalyx</i>

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References

  1. 1 2 "Eremophila psilocalyx". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 6 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. 204–206. ISBN   9781877058165.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Brown, Andrew; Buirchell, Bevan (2011). A field guide to the eremophilas of Western Australia (1st ed.). Hamilton Hill, W.A.: Simon Nevill Publications. p. 226. ISBN   9780980348156.
  4. 1 2 3 Archer, William. "Eremophila psilocalyx". Esperance Wildflowers. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  5. ↑ "Eremophila psilocalyx". APNI. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  6. ↑ von Mueller, Ferdinand (1876). Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae (Volume 10). Melbourne. p. 61. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  7. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  8. 1 2 "Eremophila psilocalyx". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  9. ↑ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 341. ISBN   0646402439.
  10. ↑ "Eremophila psilocalyx". Australian Native Plants Society Australia. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  11. ↑ Boschen, Norma; Goods, Maree; Wait, Russell (2008). Australia's eremophilas : changing gardens for a changing climate. Melbourne: Bloomings Books. p. 150. ISBN   9781876473655.
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