| Eremophila recurva | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Eremophila recurva leaves and flower | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Scrophulariaceae |
| Genus: | Eremophila |
| Species: | E. recurva |
| Binomial name | |
| Eremophila recurva | |
Eremophila recurva is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a shrub with hairy grey leaves, large grey sepals and blue, mauve or lilac flowers.
Eremophila recurva is an erect shrub which grows to a height of between 0.5 and 1.8 m (2 and 6 ft). Its branches and leaves are densely covered with grey or yellowish branched hairs giving them a felt-like appearance. The leaves are arranged alternately and are densely clustered near the ends of the branches. They are linear to lance-shaped, mostly 32–57 mm (1–2 in) long and 3.5–7 mm (0.1–0.3 in) wide. [2] [3]
The flowers are borne singly or in groups of up to 3 in leaf axils on hairy stalks 7–16 mm (0.3–0.6 in) long. There are 5 pale green to cream or purplish sepals, which are 5–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long, lance-shaped, often with their edges curved under and are covered with hairs similar to those on the leaves. 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 lilac-coloured, mauve or violet on the outside, while the inside of the tube is cream-coloured with faint lilac spots. The outside surface of the tube is glabrous except for the edges of the lobes. The inner surface of the lobes is glabrous but the inside of the tube is densely filled with woolly hairs. The 4 stamens are fully enclosed in the petal tube. Flowering occurs from May to September and is followed by fruits which are oval to cone-shaped, 7–11 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long with a pointed end and a papery covering. [2] [3]
This 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 (recurva) is a Latin word meaning "bent backwards" [5] referring to the edges of the sepals. [2]
Eremophila recurva occurs between Gascoyne Junction and Dairy Creek to the east [3] in the Carnarvon and Gascoyne biogeographic regions [6] where it grows in red sand on plains or stony flats. [2] [7]
Eremophila recurva is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [6]
The silvery-grey foliage and lilac-coloured flowers of this compact shrub are its main attractions. It can be propagated from cuttings but most cultivated shrubs have been grown from grafting onto Myoporum rootstock. It grows best in well-drained soil in full sun but only needs an occasional watering during a long drought and is tolerant of light to moderate frosts. [8]
Eremophila caespitosa, commonly known as felty-leaved eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to an area near the centre of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with a tuft-like habit, very hairy grey leaves and lilac to purple flowers.
Eremophila ciliata, commonly known as Archer's eremophila is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south of Western Australia. It is an erect, spreading shrub with short, thick leaves and small lilac to mauve flowers. It is only known from a population of about 100 plants.
Eremophila coacta is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to a small area in the north west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with narrow, sticky, pointed leaves and densely hairy light to dark lilac-coloured flowers.
Eremophila conferta is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to a small area in the central west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with many tangled branches with leaves crowded near their ends and with mauve or purple flowers.
Eremophila congesta is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to a small area in central areas of Western Australia. It is a grey-coloured shrub with crowded, hairy leaves and lilac-coloured flowers which are white inside.
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 lachnocalyx, commonly known as woolly-sepaled eremophila or woolly-calyxed eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, spreading shrub with densely hairy, greyish leaves but its most distinctive feature is its densely woolly sepals.
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 malacoides, commonly known as frontage poverty bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with grey-green foliage, densely hairy leaves, and usually lilac to purple flowers but a yellow flowered form also occurs.
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 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.
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.
Eremophila rhegos is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with densely hairy leaves and branches and blue, mauve, purple or white flowers.
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 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 ternifolia, commonly known as Wongan eremophila is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a low, many-branched, shrub with short, pointed leaves and small lilac-coloured or mauve flowers.
Eremophila tietkensii is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a rounded to flat-topped shrub with grey-green leaves, usually pinkish-purple sepals and mauve, pink or lilac-coloured petals. It is mostly found in Western Australia but also occurs in the far west of the Northern Territory.
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.