Eremophila punctata

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Eremophila punctata
Eremophila punctata (leaves and flowers).jpg
Eremophila punctata 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. punctata
Binomial name
Eremophila punctata

Eremophila punctata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with sticky young branches and leaves due to the presence of resin. Its small leaves usually have a few blunt teeth near their ends and flowers which are usually lilac-coloured. It is a distinctive and widespread species.

Contents

Description

Eremophila punctata is an erect shrub which grows to a height of between 0.5 and 2.2 m (2 and 7 ft) and which has its young branches and leaves covered with resin that often dries to a whitish film. The branches are densely covered with glandular hairs. Its leaves are arranged alternately and clustered near the ends of the branches. The leaves are linear to lance-shaped, mostly 9–16 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long, 1.5–3.5 mm (0.06–0.1 in) wide, prominently covered with small raised glands and have a few blunt teeth or lobes near their end. [2] [3]

The flowers are usually borne singly in leaf axils on hairy stalks usually 3–20 mm (0.1–0.8 in) long. There are 5 green to reddish-purple or purplish-brown, hairy, overlapping sepals which are mostly 10–16 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long. The petals are 20–30 mm (0.8–1 in) long and are joined at their lower end to form a tube. The petal tube is pale to deep lilac-coloured or deep purple, sometimes mauve, purple violet or white on the outside, while the inside of the tube is white, spotted with purple. The outside of the petal lobes and most of the tube are hairy, the inside of the lobes is glabrous and the inside of the tube is filled densely woolly. The 4 stamens are fully enclosed in the petal tube. Flowering occurs from June to October and is followed by fruits which are dry, woody, oval-shaped, 5.5–6.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and have a hairy, papery covering. [2] [3]

E. punctata growing west of Wiluna Eremophila punctata (habit).jpg
E. punctata growing west of Wiluna

Taxonomy and naming

This species was first formally described by Robert Chinnock in 1980 and the description was published in Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Garden. [4] [5] The specific epithet (punctata) is a Latin word meaning "punctuated" or "pointed" [6] referring to the glands on the leaves. [2]

Distribution and habitat

Eremophila punctata is widespread between Lake Rason and Newman [3] in the Gascoyne, Gibson Desert, Great Victoria Desert, Little Sandy Desert and Murchison biogeographic regions [7] [8] growing in sandy or stony soils in rocky places. [2] [3] [8]

Conservation

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

Use in horticulture

This eremophila bears many pale pink to deep lilac flowers over an extended period and attracts butterflies and other insects. It can be propagated from cuttings but grafting onto Myoporum rootstock is easier. Well-drained soils are preferred but the shrub will grow in full sun or partial shade and is very drought tolerant. It is sensitive to frosts and severe frost may kill the plant. [9]

Related Research Articles

Eremophila cordatisepala is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to areas of Queensland and the Northern Territory in Australia. It is a small grey shrub with purple to lilac-coloured flowers which have heart-shaped sepals at their base.

Eremophila eversa is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of Western Australia. It is known from only one plant, now thought to have died. It is a small shrub with small leaves and hairy purple to lilac-coloured flowers.

<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.

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

Eremophila lanceolata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with foliage which is shiny when young, angular branches and lilac to purple flowers and which grows in the north-west of Western Australia.

Eremophila metallicorum, commonly known as miners poverty bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small shrub with narrow leaves and lilac-coloured flowers on an S-shaped stalk.

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

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 pallida is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small, spreading shrub with hairy stems, leaves with a few serrations and reddish purple to violet flowers.

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.

Eremophila pendulina is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a tall, spindly, weeping shrub with narrow leaves and purple, mauve or white flowers in autumn and early spring.

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> Species of flowering plant

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 pungens is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is an erect, sticky shrub with broad, serrated-edged leaves which end in a sharp spine and purple or violet flowers.

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

Eremophila purpurascens, commonly known as purple eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, bushy shrub with warty leaves and spotted, pink to red flowers.

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

Eremophila reticulata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a dense shrub with egg-shaped leaves, colourful sepals and white or pink flowers.

Eremophila revoluta is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a low, dense shrub with small, hairy leaves, very hairy sepals and mauve or purple petals.

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

Eremophila spinescens is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a low, spreading, rigid, spiny shrub with small leaves and lilac to dark purple flowers.

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

Eremophila spuria is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with narrow leaves and blue, lilac, purple or white flowers and is a common and widespread species.

Eremophila succinea is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, broom-shaped shrub with sticky, narrow, hooked leaves, narrow, sticky sepals and hairy, pale purple or mauve petals.

Eremophila viscimarginata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small, erect, prickly shrub with hairy stems, small leaves, greenish-pink sepals and mauve petals.

References

  1. ↑ "Eremophila pinctata". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Chinnock, R.J. (Bob) (2007). Eremophila and allied genera : a monograph of the plant family Myoporaceae (1st ed.). Dural, NSW: Rosenberg. pp. 364–366. ISBN   9781877058165.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Brown, Andrew; Buirchell, Bevan (2011). A field guide to the eremophilas of Western Australia (1st ed.). Hamilton Hill, W.A.: Simon Nevill Publications. p. 229. ISBN   9780980348156.
  4. ↑ "Eremophila punctata". APNI. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  5. ↑ Chinnock, Robert J. (1980). "Five new species of Eremophila (Myoporaceae) from Western Australia" (PDF). Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. 2 (3): 263–265. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  6. ↑ Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 620.
  7. 1 2 "Eremophila punctata". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  8. 1 2 Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 341. ISBN   0646402439.
  9. ↑ Boschen, Norma; Goods, Maree; Wait, Russell (2008). Australia's eremophilas : changing gardens for a changing climate. Melbourne: Bloomings Books. p. 153. ISBN   9781876473655.
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