Eremophila sturtii

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Turpentine bush
Eremophila sturtii flowers and branches, 2010.jpg
Eremophila sturtii flowers and leaves
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Eremophila
Species:
E. sturtii
Binomial name
Eremophila sturtii
Synonyms [1]

Eremophila sturtii, commonly known as turpentine bush, is a shrub endemic to Australia. Aboriginal people give it names including munyunpa and watara. [2] A medium to large shrub, it is often multi-stemmed and has narrow leaves and lilac-coloured to pale mauve flowers. It is widespread and common in the drier parts of Australia and occurs in all mainland states, although it is endangered in Victoria. It is sometimes regarded as a weed, partly because of its ability to reproduce vegetatively.

Contents

Description

Eremophila sturtii is a shrub growing to a height of 1–3 m (3–10 ft) with many slender branches and dark grey, deeply fissured bark on older specimens. Its leaves are arranged alternately, bright green, slightly aromatic, mostly 10–50 mm (0.4–2 in) long and 0.5–2.5 mm (0.02–0.1 in) wide. They are also linear in shape with a curved, hooked end, glabrous, shiny and often sticky due to the presence of resin. [3] [4] [5] [6]

E. sturtii growth habit Eremophila sturtii habit.jpg
E. sturtii growth habit

The flowers are borne singly, rarely in pairs, on curved stalks 6–18 mm (0.2–0.7 in) long in the leaf axils. There are 5 cream-coloured to pinkish-purple, lance-shaped to egg-shaped sepals. The sepals are sticky, mostly glabrous and usually 7–11 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long. The five petals are 12–18 mm (0.5–0.7 in) and joined at their lower end, forming a bell-shaped tube. The petal tube is lilac-coloured to mauve or pinkish purple, rarely white and is spotted with purple. The petal tube has glandular hairs on the outside but the outside of the lobes is often covered with many long, thin hairs. The inside of the lobes is glabrous, except for the lower one which is covered with long thin hairs. The inside of the petal tube is filled with long, soft hairs. The 4 stamens do not protrude beyond the end of the petal tube. Flowering occurs from July to October and is followed by fruit which are hard, hairy, oval shaped and 3.5–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Taxonomy and naming

Eremophila sturtii was first formally described by Robert Brown in 1849 and the description was published in Charles Sturt's Narrative of an expedition into Central Australia [8] [9] and named for Captain Charles Sturt in honour of his explorations in central Australia. [3]

There are many common names for E. sturtii, including turpentine bush, narrow-leaved emu bush, budda bush, small sandalwood, scented sandalwood, turpentine emu bush, [3] narrow-leaved emu-bush [10] and kerosene bush. [11] Pitjantjatjara people know the plant as munyunpa or watara, Anmatyerre people as atyer or kwenthey and the Arrernte people as ilpurt-ilpurte. [10]

Distribution

Eremophila sturtii is common and widespread through south west Queensland, western New South Wales and eastern South Australia. There is a small population in the far north-west of Victoria. [12] There is also a disjunct distribution in south-central Northern Territory, eastern Western Australia and north central South Australia. [3] It grows on clay soils on plains, red sandy soils of sand plains and on low shaley hills. [2]

Ecology

Like its close relative E. mitchellii , E. sturtii is a weed in some pastoral areas. It can form root suckers enabling it to form extensive colonies. [3] When above-ground parts of the plant are removed, it regrows vigorously from its roots and it is also difficult to control using fire or herbicide. [13] Legislation relating to the limiting of land clearing exempts E.sturtii, E. mitchellii and some other native species. [14]

Research into methods to control the spread of E. sturtii initially focused on regeneration following severe fires in 1974 in the Ivanhoe (NSW) district. The results showed that E. sturtii was particularly good at regeneration after fire and ‘recovery seemed independent of burning conditions and shrub size’. [15] Later studies of ‘grubbing’ techniques in the Cobar region of New South Wales have shown that ripping the plants from the soil, and then covering the exposed roots with soil, has been the most effective method of control. [13] Concern has been raised about the consequences of removal of woody weeds. As a dominant species they are stable in the environment. What happens, in terms of replacement, in the event of removal is still unclear. [16] A native scale insect in the genus Pulvinaria has been shown to be valuable in the control of E. sturtii and E. mitchellii but to be effective, the insect needs to be manually transferred. [17]

Conservation

This species is classified as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife [18] and "of least concern" in the Northern Territory. [10] It is listed as endangered in Victoria. [12]

Uses

Medicine

Aboriginal Australians used munyunpa as an infusion or in the form of ashes to treat backache and the leaves as an infusion or a decoction to treat sores, cuts, head colds, sore eyes or diarrhoea. [11] Evidence exists that this plant was used in the treatment of coughs and colds by grinding the leaves and mixing with fat to spread on the skin. [19] Recent research has focused on the pharmacology of many eremophila species, including E. sturtii. Isolating compounds found in endemic species of plants is becoming prevalent in the search for means to assist in the fight against antibiotic resistant bacteria. This is a costly and time consuming practice. Research into E. sturtii has been focused on the development of an antibacterial layer that can be applied to medical implants to prevent infection. [20] [21] [22]

Horticulture

Flowers of E. sturtii carpet the desert Eremophila sturtii flower mass.jpg
Flowers of E. sturtii carpet the desert

The Society for Growing Australian Plants (now Australian Native Plants Society (Australia)) Eremophila Study Group has focused attention on propagating eremophila species with varying degrees of success. [23] This eremophile has been seen as a highly desirable garden plant because of its density of flowers. "It resembles a bridal veil blowing in the wind when in flower". [24] Propagation from cuttings is very difficult for this species and Grafting onto Myoporum rootstock is preferred for this species in domestic gardens to avoid the problems of suckering. Its frost tolerance, and hardiness in drought, makes it a species that is noted for inclusion in difficult gardens, however it can cause skin irritation in some people. [24]

Other uses

Eremophila sturtii has insect-repellant properties and the branches were sometimes used by European settlers to thatch meat-houses. [11] Aboriginal people used the plant for weapons and implements, shade and shelter, as fish poison and to make fish traps. They also used the fruits for food. [10]

Related Research Articles

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

Eremophila alternifolia, commonly known as narrow-leaved poverty bush, is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae, and is endemic to areas between the far west of New South Wales, the far south of the Northern Territory and the southern half of Western Australia. It is a variable shrub, with respect to its growth form, leaf shape and flower colour. Aboriginal Australians used the leaves to treat ailments such as colds and skin infections and pharmacological testing has shown that the leaves contain compounds that affect cardiac activity.

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

Eremophila divaricata, also known as spreading emu bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a shrub with stiff, spreading, tangled branches which are often spiny on their ends, erect leaves and mauve to lilac-coloured flowers.

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

Eremophila maculata, also known as spotted emu bush or spotted fuchsia-bush, is a plant in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae, and is endemic to Australia. It is the most widespread of its genus in nature and probably the most frequently cultivated Eremophila. It is a spreading, often densely branched shrub with variable leaf shape and flower colour, but the other features of the flowers such as the size and shape of the parts are consistent. The inside of the flower is often, but not always, spotted.

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

Eremophila oldfieldii, commonly known as pixie bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with rough bark, broad, flat or narrow fleshy leaves and red, orange or yellow flowers.

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

Eremophila oppositifolia, commonly known as weeooka, twin-leaf emu bush and mountain sandalwood, is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae, and is endemic to Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with its leaves arranged in opposite pairs and has cream to red or sometimes maroon coloured flowers. It occurs in all mainland states, but not the Northern Territory.

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

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.

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

Eremophila debilis, the winter apple or amulla, is a flowering plant in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae, and is endemic to an area extending from north Queensland to near the border between New South Wales and Victoria in Australia. It is a prostrate shrub with elliptic to lance-shaped or egg-shaped leaves and white, rarely deep mauve flowers.

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

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.

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

Eremophila bowmanii, also known as silver turkeybush, Bowman's poverty bush and flannel bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to New South Wales and Queensland in Australia. It is a low to medium, spreading shrub with silvery-grey, hairy foliage and blue to lilac flowers, and sometimes grows in dense thickets with mulga.

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

Eremophila mitchellii, known commonly as false sandalwood and several other names, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a glabrous large shrub or small tree with flaky bark, white or cream-coloured flowers and is capable of root suckering. It is widespread and common in New South Wales and Queensland where it is sometimes a serious pest of grazing land, however essential oils from the plant have been shown to have valuable properties and have been commercially exploited.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Eremophila attenuata, also known as Connie Sue poverty bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south-east of Western Australia. It is a shrub with many branches often ending in a spine.

Eremophila battii, also known as Batt's poverty bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to central Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with short, very hairy leaves and pink, purple or blue flowers.

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

Eremophila goodwinii, commonly known purple fuchsia bush and Goodwin's emu bush is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a small, spreading or erect shrub with most parts sticky due to the presence of resin, tapering leaves and pale lilac to mauve flowers. It occurs in New South Wales, the Northern Territory and Queensland.

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

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.

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

Eremophila obovata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a low, compact shrub with lilac to purple flowers growing mainly in the Northern Territory and Queensland but also Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales.

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

Eremophila parvifolia is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a shrub which has small, usually egg-shaped leaves and blackish flower buds which open to purple flowers which are white with purple spots inside. There are two subspecies, both of which are found in Western Australia and one which is also found in South Australia.

Eremophila undulata, commonly known as wavy-leaved eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small shrub with greenish-brown flowers and leaves that have a wavy margin.

References

  1. 1 2 "Eremophila sturtii". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  2. 1 2 Kutsche, Frank (2003). Field Guide to the Plants of Outback South Australia. South Australia: Department of Environment and Heritage, South Australia. p. 80. ISBN   0759010528.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Chinnock, R.J. (Bob) (2007). Eremophila and allied genera : a monograph of the plant family Myoporaceae (1st ed.). Dural, NSW: Rosenberg. pp. 216–218. ISBN   9781877058165.
  4. 1 2 Brown, Andrew; Buirchell, Bevan (2011). A field guide to the eremophilas of Western Australia (1st ed.). Hamilton Hill, W.A.: Simon Nevill Publications. p. 267. ISBN   9780980348156.
  5. 1 2 Chinnock, Robert. "Eremophila sturtii". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney; plantnet. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Eremophila sturtii". Electronic Flora of South Australia. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  7. ↑ Cunningham, G.M. (1981). Plants of Western New South Wales. Australia: Soil Conservation Service of New South Wales. pp. 610–611. ISBN   0724020039.
  8. ↑ "Eremophila sturtii". APNI. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  9. ↑ Sturt, Charles (1849). Narrative of an Expedition into Central Australia (Volume 2) (PDF). Bond Street, London: T. and W. Boone. p. 85. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Eremophila sturtii". Northern Territory flora online. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 Richmond, G.S. (1993). "A review of the use of Eremophila (Myoporaceae) by Australian Aborigines" (PDF). Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Garden. 15 (2): 101–107.
  12. 1 2 "Eremophila sturtii". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria: VicFlora. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  13. 1 2 Wiedemann, H. T.; Kelly, P. J. (2001). "Turpentine (Eremophila sturtii) control by mechanical uprooting". The Rangeland Journal. 23 (2): 173–181. doi:10.1071/RJ01004.
  14. ↑ "Native Vegetation Conservation (Savings and Transitional) Amendment (Western Division) Regulation 2004" (PDF). Australasian Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  15. ↑ Wilson, Alan Durham; Mulham, William Edward (1976). "A survey of the regeneration of some problem shrubs and trees after wildfire in western New South Wales". The Rangeland Journal. 1 (4): 363–368. doi:10.1071/RJ9790363.
  16. ↑ Page, M; Beeton, RJS; Mott, JJ (2000). "Grass response to shrub removal in two semi-arid vegetation communities". The Rangeland Journal. 22 (2): 220–224. doi:10.1071/RJ0000220.
  17. ↑ Cullen, Jim; McFadyen, Rachel; Julien, Mic (2012). Biological control of weeds in Australia. Collingwood, Vic.: CSIRO Publishing. pp. 256–258. ISBN   9780643099937.
  18. ↑ "Eremophila sturtii". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  19. ↑ Chinnock, Robert (2007). Eremophila and allied genera. South Australia: Rosenberg Publishing. p. 75. ISBN   9781877058165.
  20. ↑ Greisser, H.J.; Ys, H.; Ndi, C.P.; Britcher, L. (2008). "Combating infections at Biomedical Implants and Devices by Antibacterial Coatings". Chemistry in Australia. 75: 5–8.
  21. ↑ Ndi, C.P.; Semple, H.J.; Greisser, H.J.; Barton, M.D. (2007). "Antimicrobial activity of some plant species from the Australian genus Eremophila". Journal of Basic Microbiology. 47 (2): 158–164. doi:10.1002/jobm.200610262. PMID   17440918. S2CID   25710172.
  22. ↑ Ndi, C.P.; Semple, S.J.; Greisser, H.J.; Pyke, S.M.; Barton, M.D. (2007). "Antimicrobial compounds from the Australian desert plant Eremophila neglecta". Journal of Natural Products. 70 (9): 1439–1443. doi:10.1021/np070180r. PMID   17844993.
  23. ↑ Jennings, Colin. "Eremophila: The Emu Bush". Australian Native Plants Society Australia. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  24. 1 2 Boschen, Norma (2008). Australia's Eremophilas: changing gardens for a changing climate. Melbourne: Blooming Books. pp. 172–173. ISBN   9781876473655.
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