Eremophila santalina

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Eremophila santalina
Eremophila santalina.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. santalina
Binomial name
Eremophila santalina
(F.Muell.) F.Muell. [1]
Synonyms [2]
  • Pholidiopsis santalina F.Muell.
  • Pholidia santalina(F.Muell) Benth.
  • Bontia santalina(F.Muell) Kuntze

Eremophila santalina is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is an erect, glabrous shrub with thin branches, flexible leaves and white or cream-coloured flowers which sometimes have a slight pinkish-purple tinge.

Contents

Description

Eremophila santalina is an erect, rounded, glabrous shrub or small tree which grows to a height of between 1 and 6 m (3 and 20 ft) and which often has weak, drooping branches. The branches and leaves are sticky when young, due to the presence of resin. The leaves are thin and flexible, linear to lance-shaped, sometimes sickle-shaped, taper towards both ends, mostly 42–95 mm (2–4 in) long, 3.5–12 mm (0.1–0.5 in) wide and have a hooked end. [2] [3]

The flowers are borne singly or in pairs in leaf axils on a glabrous stalk 10–21 mm (0.4–0.8 in) long. There are 5 green, tapering sepals which are 2–6 mm (0.08–0.2 in) long. The petals are 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) long and are joined at their lower end to form a tube. The petal tube is white to cream-coloured often with a pinkish-purple tinge and lacks spots. The petal tube and lobes are glabrous apart from the inside of the middle part of the lower lobe which has long soft hairs. The lower lobe is also raised so that it closes the petal tube. The 4 stamens are enclosed in the petal tube. Flowering occurs mainly from July to October and is followed by fruits which are almost spherical, slightly fleshy, 6–10.5 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long and have a shiny, smooth yellowish-brown surface. [2] [3]

Eremophila santalina growth habit Eremophila santalina habit.jpg
Eremophila santalina growth habit

Taxonomy

The species was first formally described in 1853 by Ferdinand von Mueller who gave it the name Pholidiopsis santalina and published the description in Linnaea. [4] [5] In 1860, Mueller changed the name to Eremophila santalina and published the change in Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Van Diemen's Land. [6] [7] The specific epithet (santalina) refers to the similarity of the habit of this species to that of plants in the Santalaceae genus Santalum . [2]

Distribution and habitat

Eremophila santalina grows on rocky hillsides and along stream beds between Hawker and Mambray Creek in the Mount Remarkable National Park in the Flinders Ranges and Eyre Peninsula botanical regions of South Australia. [3]

Use in horticulture

The pendulous branches and dark green leaves as well as the hanging flowers are attractive features of this large shrub. It can be propagated from cuttings, although roots are often slow to develop. It will grow in a range of soils, including clay but faster in lighter soils in full sun. It is very drought tolerant and relatively frost hardy. Unusually, it will tolerate high humidity and is grown successfully in areas like Sydney and coastal areas of Victoria. [8]

Related Research Articles

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

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

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

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

Eremophila microtheca, also known as heath-like eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with densely hairy branches and leaves, narrow leaves and pale lilac-coloured flowers and which emits a strong odour.

Eremophila crassifolia, commonly known as thick-leaved emubush or trim emubush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to an area extending from New South Wales through Victoria to southern parts of South Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with clustered leaves and bell-shaped, usually mauve-coloured flowers.

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

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

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

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

Eremophila polyclada, commonly known as twiggy emu-bush, flowering lignum, lignum fuchsia and desert lignum is a plant in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a dense, spreading shrub with narrow leaves and white to pale lilac-coloured, purple-spotted flowers. It occurs in all mainland states except Western Australia.

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

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

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

Eremophila rotundifolia is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a shrub with many tangled branches with its leaves and branches covered with a layer of silvery-grey hairs. Its flowers range in colour from pale to deep lilac. It is common in South Australia and there is also a single record from the Northern Territory.

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

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.

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

Eremophila willsii is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is an erect shrub with bright green, often serrated leaves and pinkish to deep pinkish-purple petals. It is mainly found in Western Australia, the Northern Territory and South Australia in deep sand.

References

  1. "Eremophila santalina". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 3 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. 196–198. ISBN   9781877058165.
  3. 1 2 3 "Eremophila santalina". State Herbarium of South Australia: eflora. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  4. "Pholidiopsis santalina". APNI. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  5. von Mueller, Ferdinand (1853). "Diagnoses et descriptiones plantarum novarum, quas in Nova Hollandia". Linnaea: 429. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  6. "Eremophila santalina". APNI. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  7. von Mueller, Ferdinand (1859). "On the genus Eremophila". Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of van Diemen's Land. 3: 295. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  8. Boschen, Norma; Goods, Maree; Wait, Russell (2008). Australia's eremophilas : changing gardens for a changing climate. Melbourne: Bloomings Books. pp. 56–57. ISBN   9781876473655.