Eremaea hadra facts for kids

Eremaea hadra is a cool plant that belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. You can only find it in the south-west part of Western Australia. It's a shrub, which means it's a bushy plant, and it has thin, flat leaves that are quite prickly! In late spring, you'll see beautiful violet flowers on its branches. After the flowers, it grows smooth, cup-shaped fruits.

What it Looks Like

The Eremaea hadra is a shrub that can grow up to about 1.4 meters (around 4.5 feet) tall. Its branches stand up straight, and the younger ones are a bit hairy.

Leaves

The leaves of this plant are thin and flat. They are about 7.6 to 12.3 millimeters (0.3 to 0.5 inches) long and 1.2 to 2.6 millimeters (0.05 to 0.1 inches) wide. They are shaped like a narrow oval and end in a sharp, prickly point. If you look closely at the bottom of a leaf, you can usually see one main vein.

Flowers and Fruits

The flowers are a deep violet color. They grow in groups of 2 to 9 at the ends of the branches. These flowers have 5 sepals, which are small leaf-like parts that protect the flower bud. These sepals are very hairy on the outside. There are also 5 petals, each about 4.4 to 5.2 millimeters (around 0.2 inches) long.

The bright color of the flower comes from its stamens. These stamens are grouped into 5 bundles, with each bundle having 19 to 25 stamens! You can see these flowers from October to December. After the flowers, the plant grows woody fruits called capsules. These capsules are about 5.6 to 6.5 millimeters (around 0.2 inches) long. They are smooth on the outside and shaped like a cup or are almost round.

How it Got its Name

The plant Eremaea hadra was first officially described in 1993 by a scientist named Roger Hnatiuk. He published his description in a journal called Nuytsia. The second part of its name, hadra, comes from an Ancient Greek word that means "stout" or "strong."

Where it Lives

You can find Eremaea hadra growing on the edge of a steep slope, called an escarpment. This area is between the Arrowsmith and Hill River districts in Western Australia. It grows in areas with gravelly soil over a type of rock called laterite. These areas are part of the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains, and Swan Coastal Plain regions.

Looking After the Plant

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife says that Eremaea hadra is "not threatened." This means it's not currently in danger of disappearing.