Eremophila saligna

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Willowy eremophila
Eremophila saligna.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. saligna
Binomial name
Eremophila saligna
Synonyms [1]

Eremophila saligna, commonly known as willowy eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an upright shrub with narrow, serrated leaves, cylindrical flowers and cream to white petals.

Contents

Description

Eremophila saligna is an upright shrub which grows to a height of between 0.9 and 4 m (3 and 10 ft). The ends of the branches are flattened, sticky and often shiny due to resin and have rows of raised warty lumps. The leaves are arranged alternately along the branches and are narrow elliptic to lance-shaped, shiny, sticky, mostly 30–60 mm (1–2 in) long, 3–7 mm (0.1–0.3 in) wide, glabrous and have a few small serrations. [2] [3]

The flowers are borne in groups of up to 5 in leaf axils on straight, glabrous, sticky stalks, 7.5–11 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long. There are 5 green, sticky, narrow triangular, tapering sepals which are 1.2–2.2 mm (0.05–0.09 in) long. The petals are 7–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and are joined at their lower end to form a cylindrical tube. The petal tube is cream-coloured, sometimes with purple spots inside the tube. The outside surface is glabrous but the inside of the lobes has small, tongue-shaped hairs. The inside of the tube has club-shaped hairs along its lower surface. The 4 stamens are enclosed in the petal tube. Flowering occurs between August and October and is followed by fruits which are dry, thin, brittle, 4-sided and 5.5–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

The species was first formally described in 1899 by Spencer Le Marchant Moore who gave it the name Pholidia saligna and published the description in Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany . [4] [5] In 1931, Charles Gardner changed the name to Eremophila saligna and published the new name in Enumeratio Plantarum Australiae Occidentalis. [6] The specific epithet (saligna) is a Latin word meaning "of willow", [7] referring to the willow-like leaves of this species. [2]

Distribution and habitat

E. saligna grows on and around rocky hills and near salt lakes in areas between near Esperance, Coolgardie and Marvel Loch [3] in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Esperance Plains, Mallee and Nullarbor biogeographic regions. [8]

Conservation

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

Use in horticulture

This is one of the hardiest large eremophilas and produces a massed display of pale cream-coloured flowers which have a vanilla-like perfume, although over a short period in early spring. It can be easily propagated from cuttings and grown in a wide range of soil types including alkaline and clay soils. It is both drought and frost tolerant and can survive long dry spells without needing to be watered. [9]

Related Research Articles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

Eremophila phillipsii is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a tall, erect, open shrub, with narrow leaves and lilac to purple flowers which are white with purple spots inside. It often has an offensive smell.

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

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.

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

Eremophila rugosa is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with sticky, shiny leaves and pink, purple or mauve flowers.

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

Eremophila sargentii is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with sticky, shiny foliage, small leaves and mauve or blue 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.

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

Eremophila veronica, commonly known as veronica-like eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with small, crowded leaves and lilac-coloured flowers which have a short petal tube and spreading petal lobes.

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

Eremophila viscida, commonly known as varnish bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a large shrub or small tree with large green leaves which are sticky when young, colourful sepals and greenish-white petals with red to purple markings.

References

  1. 1 2 "Eremophila saligna". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 3 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. 188–190. ISBN   9781877058165.
  3. 1 2 3 Brown, Andrew; Buirchell, Bevan (2011). A field guide to the eremophilas of Western Australia (1st ed.). Hamilton Hill, W.A.: Simon Nevill Publications. p. 247. ISBN   9780980348156.
  4. "Pholidia saligna". APNI. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  5. Le Marchant Moore, Spencer (1899). "The Botanical Results of a Journey into the Interior of Western Australia". Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany. 34: 207. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  6. "Eremophila saligna". APNI. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  7. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 678.
  8. 1 2 "Eremophila saligna". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  9. Boschen, Norma; Goods, Maree; Wait, Russell (2008). Australia's eremophilas : changing gardens for a changing climate. Melbourne: Bloomings Books. pp. 55–56. ISBN   9781876473655.