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Eremophila caerulea

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Species of flowering plant

Spotted eremophila
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Eremophila
Species: E. caerulea
Binomial name
Eremophila caerulea
(S.Moore) Diels

Eremophila caerulea, commonly known as spotted eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, compact, spreading shrub with narrow, warty, cylindrical leaves and blue to purple flowers.

Description

Eremophila caerulea is a shrub with dense foliage, many tangled branches and a strong smell of camphor and which grows to a height of 0.3–0.6 m (1–2 ft) and a spread of up to 0.7 m (2 ft). The leaves are arranged in whorls of 3 or 4 and are usually 4–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long and about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide. They are linear in shape and almost circular in cross-section, although there are many raised warty lumps on the surface.

The flowers are borne singly in leaf axils and lack a stalk. There are 5 linear or lance-shaped, green sepals which are 3–5.5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and hairy. The petals are 9–14 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long and joined at their lower end to form a tube. The tube is a shade of blue to purple on the outside and white with purple spots inside and there are scattered hairs on the outside The inside of the tube is filled with spidery hairs and there are hairs on the lowers petal lobe. There are 4 stamens, two of which extend slightly beyond the petals while the other two are enclosed in the petal tube. Flowering mostly occurs from September to November and is followed by fruits which are dry, oblong to almost spherical and are 2.5–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long.

Taxonomy and naming

The species was first formally described by Spencer Moore in 1899 as Pholidia caerulea and the description was published in Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany. In 1904 Ludwig Diels and Ernst Georg Pritzel changed the name to Eremophila caerulea. The specific epithet (caerulea) is a Latin word meaning "dark blue", referring to the colour of the petals.

There are two subspecies:

  • E. caerulea (S.Moore) Diels subsp. caerulea, which has sparsely hairy leaves and lance-shaped sepals and which occurs between Kalgoorlie, Norseman and Bruce Rock;
  • E. caerulea subsp. merrallii Chinnock , commonly known as Bruce Rock eremophila, which has densely hairy leaves and linear sepals and which occurs between the Hunt Range, Southern Cross and Bruce Rock.

The epithet merrallii honours Edwin Merrall, a gold prospector, who first collected this plant.

Distribution and habitat

Eremophila caerulea occurs to the west of Kalgoorlie in the Coolgardie biogeographic region where it grows in red sand or stony clay in woodland or mallee on undulating plains.

Conservation status

Eremophila caerulea subsp. caerulea is classified as "not threatened" but Eremophila caerulea subsp. merrallii is classified as "Priority Four" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife meaning that is rare but not currently under threat.

Use in horticulture

Its compact form and unusual leaves make this an ideal garden shrub and is popular in many gardens. It is easily propagated from cuttings although these make take up to 3 months to strike, even in warm weather. It will grow in most soils, although more slowly in clay and will grow in full sun or partial shade. It rarely needs pruning and will survive heavy frosts.

References

  1. "Eremophila caerulea". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  2. ^ Chinnock, R.J. (Bob) (2007). Eremophila and allied genera : a monograph of the plant family Myoporaceae (1st ed.). Dural, NSW: Rosenberg. pp. 256–260. ISBN 9781877058165.
  3. ^ Brown, Andrew; Buirchell, Bevan (2011). A field guide to the eremophilas of Western Australia (1st ed.). Hamilton Hill, W.A.: Simon Nevill Publications. pp. 50–51. ISBN 9780980348156.
  4. ^ Boschen, Norma; Goods, Maree; Wait, Russell (2008). Australia's eremophilas : changing gardens for a changing climate. Melbourne: Bloomings Books. pp. 190–191. ISBN 9781876473655.
  5. "Pholidia caerulea". APNI. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  6. Moore, Spencer Le Marchant (1899). "The Botanical Results of a Journey into the Interior of Western Australia". Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany. 34: 208–209. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  7. "Eremophila caerulea". APNI. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  8. Diels, Ludwig; Pritzel, Ernst Georg (1905). "Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae occidentalis". Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie. 35 (2): 542. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  9. "Australian Plant Collectors and Illustrators (M)". Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  10. ^ "Eremophila caerulea". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  11. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 333. ISBN 0646402439.
  12. "Eremophila caerulea subsp. merrallii". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  13. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
Taxon identifiers
Eremophila caerulea
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