Eremophila praecox
| Eremophila praecox | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Scrophulariaceae |
| Genus: | Eremophila |
| Species: | E. praecox
|
| Binomial name | |
| Eremophila praecox | |
Eremophila praecoxis aflowering plantin the figwortfamily,Scrophulariaceaeand isendemictoAustralia.It is a small, broom-like shrub with small leaves and purple and white flowers.
Description
[edit]Eremophila praecoxis a broom-shaped shrub which grows to a height of between 0.3 and 1.5 m (1 and 5 ft). The branches have a covering of branched hairs, especially near the tips and are also slightly sticky near the ends due to a covering ofresin.The leaves are mostly arranged in opposite pairs and are linear in shape to almost cylindrical, mostly 5–11 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long, about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide, sparsely hairy and sticky when young but becomeglabrousas they mature.[2][3]
The flowers are borne singly, sometimes in pairs in leaf axils on hairy stalks 2–5 mm (0.08–0.2 in) long. There are 5 green to purplish-black, egg-shaped to narrow lance-shaped, hairysepalswhich are 1.8–3.5 mm (0.07–0.1 in) long. Thepetalsare 9–14 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long and are joined at their lower end to form a tube. The petal tube is purple, tinged white on the outside, while the inside of the tube and lower part of the lobes are white, spotted purple. There are a few hairs on the outside of the petal tube but the inside surface of the petal lobes is glabrous while the tube is filled with long, soft hairs. The 4 stamens extend slightly beyond the end of the petal tube, including in the bud. Flowering occurs from October to December and is followed by fruits which are dry, woody, cone-shaped to oval-shaped with a pointed end and about 3.5–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and hairy.[2][3]
Taxonomy and naming
[edit]This species was first formally described byRobert Chinnockin 2007 and the description was published inEremophila and Allied Genera: A Monograph of the Plant Family Myoporaceae.[4]Thespecific epithet(praecox) is aLatinword meaning "too early ripe", "premature" or "precocious",[5]referring to the anthers which protrude from the flower buds.[2]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]Eremophila praecoxoccurs nearWidgemooltha,CoolgardieandKalgoorlie[2][3]in theCoolgardiebiogeographic regionsofWestern Australia[6]and as scattered individuals in the western part of theEyre PeninsulainSouth Australia.It grows in red-brown sandy loam with other eremophila species.[2][3]
Conservation
[edit]E. praecoxis classified as "Priority One"by the Western Australian GovernmentDepartment of Parks and Wildlife,[6]meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations which are potentially at risk.[7]
Use in horticulture
[edit]This eremophila is a dainty shrub with delicate blue to purple flowers. It can be propagated fromcuttingsor bygraftingontoMyoporumrootstockand grown in a wide range of soil types, including clay. A hardy shrub, it is both frost and drought tolerant, requiring only the occasional watering during a long drought.[8]
References
[edit]- ^"Eremophila praecox".Australian Plant Census.Retrieved6 September2020.
- ^abcdeChinnock, R.J. (Bob) (2007).Eremophila and allied genera: a monograph of the plant family Myoporaceae(1st ed.). Dural, NSW: Rosenberg. pp. 242–244.ISBN9781877058165.
- ^abcdBrown, Andrew; Buirchell, Bevan (2011).A field guide to the eremophilas of Western Australia(1st ed.). Hamilton Hill, W.A.: Simon Nevill Publications. p. 224.ISBN9780980348156.
- ^"Eremophila praecox".APNI.Retrieved1 March2016.
- ^Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956).The Composition of Scientific Words.Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 134.
- ^ab"Eremophila praecox".FloraBase.Western Australian GovernmentDepartment of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^"Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna"(PDF).Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife.Retrieved1 March2016.
- ^Boschen, Norma; Goods, Maree; Wait, Russell (2008).Australia's eremophilas: changing gardens for a changing climate.Melbourne: Bloomings Books. p. 148.ISBN9781876473655.