Willowy eremophila | |
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Scientific classification | |
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] | |
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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.
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]
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]
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]
Eremophila saligna is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [8]
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]
Eremophila scoparia, commonly known as silver emubush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a broom-like shrub with narrow, hooked leaves, small sepals and deep lilac-coloured to white petals and is common and widespread in southern parts of the continent.
Eremophila decipiens, commonly known as slender fuchsia bush or narrow-leaved fuchsia bush is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to an area extending from the south-west of Western Australia to southern parts of South Australia. It is low, sprawling shrub with lance-shaped leaves and red, orange or yellow flowers on a long, S-shaped stalk.
Eremophila dichroantha, also known as bale-hook eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with many ascending branches making the plant appear broom-like. It has small, hooked leaves and small, though abundant, violet to lilac-coloured flowers.
Eremophila caerulea, commonly known as spotted eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, compact, spreading shrub with narrow, warty, cylindrical leaves and blue to purple flowers.
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.
Eremophila granitica, commonly known as granite poverty bush and thin-leaved poverty bush is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with sticky, narrow leaves and with lilac-coloured flowers.
Eremophila homoplastica is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small shrub with many fine, tangled branches, tiny leaves and purple to lilac-coloured flowers.
Eremophila interstans is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a shrub or small tree found in Western Australia and South Australia and has narrow leaves with a hooked end, and white or cream-coloured flowers.
Eremophila ionantha is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with many sticky branches, narrow, light green leaves and blue, purple or violet flowers.
Eremophila labrosa is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with many hairy branches arising from near ground level, narrow, hooked leaves and mauve and blue flowers.
Eremophila lehmanniana is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub, usually with short, wide, serrated leaves and white to lilac-coloured flowers. It occurs in the south west of Western Australia.
Eremophila lucida, commonly known as shining poverty bush, 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 branches and with flowers that are either red with darker red blotches inside or cream-coloured without spots or blotches.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.