| Eremophila rigida | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Eremophila rigida leaves and flowers | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Scrophulariaceae |
| Genus: | Eremophila |
| Species: | E. rigida |
| Binomial name | |
| Eremophila rigida | |
Eremophila rigida is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, rigid shrub with thick, hairy, rigid leaves and pale yellowish-cream flowers.
Eremophila rigida is an erect, rigid shrub which grows to a height of between 0.5 and 1.2 m (2 and 4 ft). Its branches and leaves are covered with simple, silvery-grey hairs which become stained brown or reddish. The branches are rough due to persistent raised leaf bases. The leaves are arranged alternately and are thick, very rigid, folded into a U-shape, egg-shaped to kidney-shaped, and have a flattened stalk 3–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long. The leaf blade is 9–14 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long and 8–16.5 mm (0.3–0.6 in) wide. [2] [3]
The flowers are borne singly in leaf axils on stalks, 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. There are 5 cream-coloured, overlapping, hairy sepals which have a greenish tinge but turn reddish-brown after flowering. The sepals are different shapes, varying from lance-shaped to egg-shaped and are 9–13 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long. The petals are 23–26 mm (0.9–1 in) long and are joined at their lower end to form a tube. The petal tube is cream-coloured sometimes with a lilac tinge on the upper surface. The petal tube and lobes are hairy on the outside, but the inside is glabrous except for part of the lower lobe and the inside of the tube which is filled with long, soft hairs. The 4 stamens are fully enclosed in the petal tube. Flowering occurs from June to September and the fruit which follow are broad oval-shaped, 5.5–7.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and have a hairy 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 (rigida) is a Latin word meaning "stiff", "rigid", "hard" or "inflexible" [5] referring to the leaves of this species. [2]
Eremophila rigida grows on stony clay flats in open areas between Meekatharra and Newman [2] [3] in the Gascoyne and Pilbara biogeographic regions. [6]
This eremophila is classified as "Priority Three" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife [6] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat. [7]
The unusual, rigid foliage of this eremophila are attractions, as are the masses of flowers appearing in spring. The best colour forms are those with yellow buds which open to cream-coloured flowers. It is usually propagated by grafting onto Myoporum rootstock and grows best in well-drained soils in a sunny location. It is drought tolerant, requiring only one or two deep waterings during a long dry spell but it is only moderately frost tolerant. [8]
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.
Eremophila caperata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a broom-like shrub with flat, narrow, wrinkled leaves and white or light pink to lilac-coloured flowers.
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 cuneata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the Shark Bay area of Western Australia. It is a rarely-seen, small shrub with wedge-shaped leaves and white to cream-coloured flowers.
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 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 mirabilis is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with narrow leaves, brightly coloured sepals and petals growing in two widely separated areas.
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 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 physocalyx is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with soft, grey-green leaves and cream-coloured flowers with unusual inflated sepals.
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 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 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 retropila is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, spreading shrub with hairy, greyish leaves crowded at the ends of the branches, and lilac or violet-coloured flowers which are white inside.
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 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 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.
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.
