Eremophila subfloccosa

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Dense-felted eremophila
Eremophila subfloccoa KP gnangarra-10.jpg
Eremophila subfloccosa in Kings Park
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Eremophila
Species:
E. subfloccosa
Binomial name
Eremophila subfloccosa
Close-up of leaves Eremophila subflocossa close-up foliage.jpg
Close-up of leaves

Eremophila subfloccosa, also known as dense-felted eremophila [2] is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a shrub which often has foliage covered with soft hairs, giving the plant a silvery grey hue and making it soft to touch. The leaves are strongly scented when crushed. Its flowers are usually greenish yellow in colour and have the stamens protruding from the ends. Dense-felted eremophila is common after fire, but becomes less so as others recover and compete with it.

Contents

Description

Eremophila subfloccosa is often a low spreading shrub, which usually grows to less than 1 m (3 ft) tall but can spread to about 2 m (7 ft). Its leaves are usually 15–37 mm (0.6–1 in) wide and 5.5–11 mm (0.2–0.4 in) wide and are egg-shaped, elliptic or oblong. The leaves and branches are often densely covered, usually with more than one kind of soft hairs making the foliage soft to touch, although there is variation between subspecies. The foliage is often strongly scented when crushed. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

The flowers are yellow to green and occur singly in the axils of leaves on a stalk up to 4 mm (0.2 in) long which is covered with soft, white hairs. The flowers are tubular in shape, up to 25 mm (1 in) long, surrounded at their base by 5 sepals. They are not spotted and the four stamens extend beyond the tube formed by the petals. Flowering usually occurs in spring but often occurs also at other times and is followed by fruits which are glabrous, roughly spherical and 5–9 mm (0.2–0.4 in) in diameter. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Taxonomy and naming

Eremophila subfloccosa was first formally described by George Bentham in 1870 in Flora Australiensis . [8] [9] The specific epithet (subfloccosa) is from the Latin sub meaning "somewhat" or "almost" and floccosus, "floccose" [10] referring to the stem and leaf hairs. [3] [4]

Three subspecies have been recognised:

The epithet glandulosa is from Latin, meaning 'covered with hairs bearing glandular tips' and the epithet lanata is from the Latin 'covered with long dense curled and matted hairs'. [3]

Distribution

Eremophila subfloccosa occurs in semi-arid parts of Western Australia and in South Australia, mainly near the Eyre Peninsula. It grows in a range of soils, often near saline areas and on disturbed sites such as road verges. [5] It often thrives after bushfire but suffers in competition from others as they recover after several years. [6]

Subspecies subfloccosa grows in sandy soils or laterite in disturbed areas between Hyden and Wongan Hills in the Avon Wheatbelt, and Yalgoo biogeographic regions. [14]
Subspecies glandulosa occurs in two disjunct populations. In Western Australia it occurs between Balladonia and Ravensthorpe in the Coolgardie, Esperance Plains and Mallee biogeographic regions. It is often found after bushfires and near roadsides whilst absent from nearby undisturbed bush. [15] In South Australia it occurs in the Yorke Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray and Southern Lofty botanical regions. [7] [16]
Subspecies lanata also occurs in two disjunct populations in two states. In Western Australia it grows in a broad area between Cue and Rawlinna in the Avon Wheatbelt, Carnarvon, Coolgardie, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Great Victoria Desert, Mallee, Murchison and Yalgoo biogeographic regions and is often found in sandy soils on plains and on the margins of salt lakes. [17] In South Australia it occurs in the North-western, Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, South Eastern botanical regions. [7] [16]

Use in horticulture

The soft, silvery foliage of dense-felted eremophila make it a suitable garden plant. It grows best in drier areas, needs full sun and prefers alkaline, well drained soil. Propagation is easier from cutting than from seed but the use of mist will cause fungal problems. [5] [18] [19]

Related Research Articles

<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 oldfieldii</i>

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 decipiens</i> Species of plant

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.

<i>Eremophila denticulata</i>

Eremophila denticulata, also known as toothed eremophila, toothed poverty bush and Fitzgerald eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with red flowers and leaves that have toothed margins.

<i>Eremophila mackinlayi</i>

Eremophila mackinlayi, commonly known as desert pride, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with its branches and leaves covered with a thick layer of yellow to grey hairs, mostly egg-shaped leaves and deep lilac-coloured to purple flowers. It is most closely related to E. strongylophylla and E. hygrophana and sometimes occurs in the same areas as these species.

<i>Eremophila pterocarpa</i>

Eremophila pterocarpa, commonly known as silver poverty bush or winged-fruited eremophila, is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a densely foliaged, upright shrub with most of its parts covered with a silvery powder.

Eremophila arachnoides is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to a few arid areas of Western Australia and South Australia. It is a little-known, broom-shaped shrub with white to mauve, trumpet-shaped flowers which are densely hairy on the inside.

Eremophila compacta, commonly known as compact poverty bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the central west of Western Australia. There are two distinct subspecies differing in their growth habit but both have grey leaves due to a covering of white or grey hairs, and purple to blue, rarely white flowers.

<i>Eremophila densifolia</i>

Eremophila densifolia is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is usually a low, spreading shrub with densely clustered leaves and lilac to purple flowers.

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

Eremophila forrestii, commonly known as Wilcox bush is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a many-branched shrub with its branches, leaves and sepals densely-covered with a thick layer of greyish or yellowish hairs giving the plant a felty appearance. Its flowers are cream-coloured to pink and are spotted or streaked dark red. It occurs mostly in Western Australia but also in the far west of South Australia and the Northern Territory. Six subspecies are recognised by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.

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

Eremophila gilesii, commonly known Charleville turkey bush, green turkey bush, desert fuchsia and Giles emu bush is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is usually a low, spreading shrub with pinkish-lilac to purple flowers and is widespread in the Northern Territory and all mainland states except Victoria. It is considered a difficult agricultural weed in some parts of Queensland but is often used as a bush medicine by Aboriginal people.

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

Eremophila paisleyi is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a rounded, broom-shaped shrub with white or lilac-coloured flowers which occurs in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

Eremophila perglandulosa is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub which has small leaves with many glandular hairs and mauve or purple 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.

<i>Eremophila platycalyx</i>

Eremophila platycalyx is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with its branches and leaves covered with a layer of matted hairs, although the hairs are sometimes obscured by resin. The shape of the leaves is variable, depending on subspecies, the sepals are often brightly coloured and the petals are cream-coloured, sometimes spotted on the outside. Two subspecies have been described but others have been discovered although not as yet formally described.

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

Eremophila platythamnos, commonly known as desert foxglove, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is an erect shrub with short, broad leaves and purple, mauve, blue or pink 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 simulans is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with broad, serrated leaves and violet to purple flowers.

<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 subfloccosa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  2. ↑ "Eremophila subfloccosa". APNI. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Chinnock, R.J. (Bob) (2007). Eremophila and allied genera : a monograph of the plant family Myoporaceae (1st ed.). Dural, NSW: Rosenberg. pp. 601–605. ISBN   9781877058165.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Brown, Andrew; Buirchell, Bevan (2011). A field guide to the eremophilas of Western Australia (1st ed.). Hamilton Hill, W.A.: Simon Nevill Publications. pp. 268–270. ISBN   9780980348156.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Glen, Dianne. "Eremophila subfloccosa". Australian National Botanic Garden. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 Archer, William. "Eremophila subfloccosa subsp. glandulosa – Emu Bush". Esperance Wildflowers. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Eremophila subfloccosa". State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  8. ↑ "Eremophila subfloccosa". APNI. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  9. ↑ Bentham, George; von Mueller, Ferdinand (1870). Flora Australiensis. London: L. Reeve & Co. p. 28. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  10. ↑ Francis Aubie Sharr (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings. Kardinya, Western Australia: Four Gables Press. p. 316. ISBN   9780958034180.
  11. ↑ "Eremophila subfloccosa subsp. subfloccosa". APNI. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  12. ↑ "Eremophila subfloccosa subsp. glandulosa". APNI. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  13. ↑ "Eremophila subfloccosa subsp. lantana". APNI. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  14. ↑ "Eremophila subfloccosa subsp. floccosa". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  15. ↑ "Eremophila subfloccosa subsp. glandulosa". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  16. 1 2 Kellerman, Jurgen. "Flora of South Australia - Introduction: How to use this flora" (PDF). State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  17. ↑ "Eremophila subfloccosa subsp. lanata". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  18. ↑ Wrigley, John W.; Fagg, Murray (1983). Australian native plants : a manual for their propagation, cultivation and use in landscaping (2nd ed.). Sydney: Collins. p. 214. ISBN   0002165759.
  19. ↑ Boschen, Norma; Goods, Maree; Wait, Russell (2008). Australia's eremophilas : changing gardens for a changing climate. Melbourne: Bloomings Books. pp. 173–174. ISBN   9781876473655.
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