Eremophila spuria

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Eremophila spuria
Eremophila spuria (leaves and flowers).jpg
Eremophila spuria leaves and flowers
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Eremophila
Species:
E. spuria
Binomial name
Eremophila spuria

Eremophila spuria is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with narrow leaves and blue, lilac, purple or white flowers and is a common and widespread species.

Contents

Description

Eremophila spuria is an open shrub which grows to a height of between 0.6 and 2 m (2 and 7 ft). Its branches and leaves are glabrous and sticky, especially when young, due to the presence of resin. The leaves are flat and linear in shape, mostly 21–48 mm (0.8–2 in) long, 1.5–3 mm (0.06–0.1 in) wide and have a few scattered teeth on their margins. [2] [3]

The flowers are borne singly or in groups of up to four in leaf axils on mostly glabrous stalks 12–24 mm (0.5–0.9 in) long. There are five yellow-green or brownish, overlapping, elliptic to lance-shaped sepals which are mostly 10–14.5 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long. The sepals are often densely covered with glandular hairs otherwise almost glabrous but with spots of brown resin. The petals are 18.5–26 mm (0.7–1 in) long and are joined at their lower end to form a tube. The petal tube is white to lilac-coloured, blue or purple, with lines of yellow-brown spots inside the tube. The petal tube and its lobes are hairy on the outside, the lobes are glabrous inside and the inside of the tube is filled with woolly hairs. The four stamens are enclosed in the petal tube. Flowering occurs between March and October and is followed by fruits which are dry, woody, oval-shaped and 6–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. [2] [3]

E. spuria growing near Karalundi Eremophila spuria (habit).jpg
E. spuria growing near Karalundi
E. spuria flower detail Eremophila spuria (flower detail).jpg
E. spuria flower detail

Taxonomy and naming

The 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 is from the "Latin spuria, false; alluding to this species superficially resembling a number of others". [2] [3]

Distribution and habitat

Eremophila spuria grows in sandy, sometimes clay soils between the Murchison settlement, Carnarvon and Wiluna [3] in the Carnarvon, Gascoyne, Murchison and Yalgoo biogeographic regions. [5]

Conservation

This eremophila is classified "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [5]

Use in horticulture

This is a fast-growing but sometimes short-lived shrub but its delicate, lightly coloured flowers contrast well with its dark-green leaves. It can be propagated by grafting onto Myoporum rootstock and grows best in well-drained soil in a sunny location. It only needs an occasional watering during a long drought, but it can be damaged by a heavy frost. [6]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

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

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.

<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.

References

  1. ↑ "Eremophila spuria". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 1 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. 299–301. ISBN   9781877058165.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Brown, Andrew; Buirchell, Bevan (2011). A field guide to the eremophilas of Western Australia (1st ed.). Hamilton Hill, W.A.: Simon Nevill Publications. p. 265. ISBN   9780980348156.
  4. ↑ "Eremophila spuria". APNI. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Eremophila spuria". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  6. ↑ Boschen, Norma; Goods, Maree; Wait, Russell (2008). Australia's eremophilas : changing gardens for a changing climate. Melbourne: Bloomings Books. p. 171. ISBN   9781876473655.
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