Eremaea atala facts for kids

Eremaea atala is a special plant that belongs to the Myrtaceae family, also known as the myrtle family. This plant is found only in the south-west part of Western Australia, making it endemic to that area. It's a small shrub with soft, non-prickly leaves and beautiful purple flowers. You can usually see its flowers in late spring or summer, often appearing in small groups at the ends of branches that grew in the same year.

What it Looks Like

Eremaea atala is a small shrub that grows upright with branches spreading out. It can reach a height of about 1.2 metres (4 ft), which is a little taller than an average 12-year-old!

Its leaves are 7.3–10 millimetres (0.3–0.4 in) long and 0.8–1.5 millimetres (0.03–0.06 in) wide. They are flat and shaped like a narrow egg, with the thinner end closer to the stem. You can see a single vein on the underside of each leaf. Unlike some other plants in the Eremaea group, the leaves of Eremaea atala are soft and do not have a sharp, prickly tip.

Flowers and Fruits

The flowers of Eremaea atala are purple. They usually grow in groups of three in the spots where leaves meet the stem, mostly on the new growth from the current year. Each flower has 5 sepals, which are small leaf-like parts that protect the bud. These sepals are very hairy on the outside.

There are also 5 petals, which are 3.2–4.5 millimetres (0.1–0.2 in) long. The bright purple color of the flower comes from its stamens. These stamens are grouped into 5 bundles, with each bundle containing about 19 to 20 stamens.

Eremaea atala flowers from November to January. After the flowers, the plant produces fruits. These fruits are woody capsules. They are mostly cup-shaped, smooth, and about 5.0–5.5 millimetres (0.20–0.22 in) long.

How it Got its Name

The plant Eremaea atala was first officially described in 1993 by a scientist named Roger Hnatiuk. He wrote about it in a scientific journal called Nuytsia.

The second part of its name, atala, comes from an Ancient Greek word. Atalos means "soft" or "delicate". This name was chosen because the leaves of Eremaea atala are soft, especially when compared to its close relatives like Eremaea violacea and Eremaea hadra, which have tougher leaves.

Where it Lives

You can find Eremaea atala growing between the Arrowsmith River and the Hill River in Western Australia. These areas are part of the Geraldton Sandplains and Swan Coastal Plain regions. This plant prefers to grow in sandy soil that sits on top of a type of rock called laterite.

Is it Safe?

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at Eremaea atala. They have classified it as "not threatened." This means that the plant is not currently in danger of disappearing.