Rough emu bush | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Scrophulariaceae |
Genus: | Eremophila |
Species: | E. scaberula |
Binomial name | |
Eremophila scaberula | |
Synonyms [1] | |
Eremophila scaberula, commonly known as rough emu bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae, and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a low growing, heath-like shrub with crowded leaves and which produces solitary pale to dark purple flowers in the leaf axils predominantly between July and October in its native range.
Eremophila scaberula is a heath-like shrub which grows to a height of between 15 and 75 cm (6 and 30 in). Its branches have prominent ridges leading down from the leaf bases and are slightly sticky due to the presence of resin. The leaves are arranged in whorls of 3 or 4 along the branches and are linear in shape, mostly 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long, about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide, rough to the touch and slightly sticky. [2] [3]
The flowers are borne singly in leaf axils on short, glabrous, sticky stalks 0.5–2.5 mm (0.02–0.1 in) long. There are 5 tapering egg-shaped, glabrous, sticky sepals which are about 3–4.2 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long with some narrower than others. The petals are 6–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long and are joined at their lower end to form a tube. The petal tube and lobes are dark lilac-coloured to purple and white with brown to purple spots inside the tube. The inside and outside surfaces are glabrous except that the middle part of the lower lobe and the inside of the tube are hairy. The 4 stamens are fully enclosed in the petal tube. Flowering occurs between July and October and is followed by fruits which are small, dry, woody, cone-shaped, 3–4.5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and have a glabrous, papery covering. [2] [3]
The species was first formally described by William Vincent Fitzgerald in 1905 and the description was published in Journal of the West Australia Natural History Society. [4] The specific epithet (scaberula) is a Latin word meaning "minutely scabrous". [2]
Rough emu bush occurs in a few areas of remnant bushland near Moora, growing in clay or loam in woodland [3] in the Avon Wheatbelt and Jarrah Forest biogeographic regions. [5]
Eremophila scaberula is classified as "Threatened Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extant)" by the Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia). [5] It is listed as "Critically Endangered" (CR) under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and an interim recovery plan has been prepared. [6] In 1999, the total wild population was estimated to be 455 plants occurring in three locations to the south of Moora. [6] Threats to the population include weed competition, fire, degraded habitat, disturbance from maintenance activities and, conversely, lack of site disturbance. [7]
This small eremophila has small, dark green leaves which contrast attractively with the usually blue flowers, and it can be used to fill the space under taller plants. It can be propagated from cuttings or by grafting onto Myoporum rootstock and grows best in well-drained soil in either full sun or partial shade. It is drought tolerant, only needing an occasional watering during a long drought and it is tolerant of even the most severe frosts. [8]
Eremophila hygrophana is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is an erect, compact shrub with crowded, grey leaves and violet to purple flowers and is native to South Australia and Western Australia.
Eremophila latrobei, commonly known as crimson turkey bush, native fuchsia, Latrobe's emu bush, grey fuchsia bush, warty fuchsia bush and Georgina poison bush is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is an erect, highly branched shrub with usually linear leaves and red to purple-red flowers and which occurs in all mainland states, including the Northern Territory but excluding Victoria.
Eremophila clarkei, commonly known as turpentine bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory. It is a shrub which is variable in form, but usually with narrow leaves and white or pale pink flowers. It is similar to Eremophila georgei and Eremophila granitica.
Eremophila fraseri, commonly known as burra or jilarnu, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with all above-ground parts of the plant, apart from the petals, sticky and shiny due to the presence of a large amount of resin. The petals are coloured white, cream, pink and brown.
Eremophila lactea, commonly known as milky emu bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with its branches and leaves mostly glabrous but with white blotches due to the presence of dry resin. It is a critically endangered plant species mostly found in disturbed areas such as roadsides.
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 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 papillata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, compact shrub with sticky, narrow leaves and mauve, blue or purple, rarely white flowers.
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 pinnatifida, commonly known as Dalwallinu eremophila is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a spreading, rounded shrub with aromatic, deeply divided leaves and pale purple flowers which are white with purple spots inside. It is a rare plant, known only from a few areas near Perth.
Eremophila praecox is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a small, broom-like shrub with small leaves and purple and white flowers.
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 pungens is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is an erect, sticky shrub with broad, serrated-edged leaves which end in a sharp spine and purple or violet 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 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 veneta, commonly known as metallic-flowered eremophila is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a low, spreading, sticky shrub with dark green leaves and bluish-green petals.
Eremophila vernicosa, commonly known as resinous poverty bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with its glabrous leaves and branches appearing varnished due to a thick covering of resin. It has small leaves and white to pale mauve flowers.
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.
Eremophila viscimarginata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small, erect, prickly shrub with hairy stems, small leaves, greenish-pink sepals and mauve petals.