Bell-flowered poverty bush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bell-flowered poverty bush |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eremophila (plant)
|
| Species: |
campanulata
|
The bell-flowered poverty bush (scientific name: Eremophila campanulata) is a special flowering plant. It belongs to the figwort family. This plant is endemic, meaning it grows naturally only in a small area of central Western Australia. It is a small, low shrub with many branches. It has tiny leaves and pretty purple or lilac flowers. Its most unique feature is the dark purple sepals. These are like small leaves at the base of the flowers.
What Does It Look Like?
The bell-flowered poverty bush is a small shrub. It has many tangled branches. It usually grows to about 0.4 m (1 ft) tall. Its leaves are close together near the ends of the branches. They are typically 3–10 mm (0.1–0.4 in) long and 1–2 mm (0.04–0.08 in) wide. The leaves are thin and shaped like a club. Their edges are often curled under.
The flowers grow one by one where the leaves meet the stem. Each flower has a stalk about 4.5–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. There are five dark purple, egg-shaped sepals. These sepals are pointed and measure 5.5–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. The petals are 7–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) long. They join together at the bottom to form a bell-shaped tube. This tube is usually pale lilac or purple. It has three wide and two slightly narrower petal lobes at the end. The flower has four stamens, which are the parts that make pollen. Sometimes there are five or six stamens. These stamens stick out beyond the petal tube. This plant usually flowers from July to September. After flowering, it produces dry, woody fruits. These fruits are oval or cone-shaped and are about 6.5–7.5 mm (0.26–0.30 in) long.
How It Got Its Name
This plant was first officially described in 2007. The person who described it was Robert Chinnock. He published his description in a book called Eremophila and Allied Genera: A Monograph of the Plant Family Myoporaceae. The first plant specimen used for the description was collected by Chinnock. He found it about 39 kilometres (20 mi) east-southeast of Windidda. The second part of its scientific name, campanulata, comes from a Latin word. It means "bell-shaped." This refers to the bell-like shape of the flower's corolla, which is the group of petals.
Where It Lives
The bell-flowered poverty bush grows in an area between Prenti Downs and Wongawol. This area is part of the Gascoyne biogeographic region. It likes to grow in stony clay soil on low hills.
Protecting This Plant
The Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife has classified Eremophila campanulata as "Priority Three". This means that we don't know a lot about this plant. It is only found in a few places. However, it is not currently in immediate danger of disappearing. It's important to keep an eye on these plants to make sure they stay safe.
