Eremophila accrescens facts for kids

Eremophila accrescens is a cool plant that belongs to the figwort family, also known as Scrophulariaceae. It's a special kind of plant because it only grows in Western Australia. You can usually find it in rocky areas or near small streams and drainage channels. This plant is an upright shrub with greyish, slightly furry leaves that can be different shapes. Its flowers have pretty white, pale blue, or purple petals.

What Does Eremophila accrescens Look Like?

Eremophila accrescens usually grows to be about 0.4 to 2 metres (1 to 7 feet) tall. Its leaves and stems are covered with many tiny hairs. There's also a shiny, sticky layer of resin between these hairs. The stems have grooves running down from where the leaves attach.

The leaves grow one after another along the stem. They stick out from the stem and are mostly shaped like an egg, but with the narrower end at the bottom. They also have a channel or groove on top. These leaves are about 10 to 28 millimetres (0.4 to 1.1 inches) long and 3.5 to 7 millimetres (0.1 to 0.3 inches) wide. You can see a clear vein running down the middle on the underside of each leaf.

Flowers and Fruit

The flowers grow one by one where the leaves meet the stem. Each flower sits on a straight stalk that is about 4 to 7.5 millimetres (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long. Before the petals open, there are 5 overlapping, egg-shaped, pinkish parts called sepals. These sepals are all slightly different sizes. What's cool is that they get bigger as the fruit starts to grow!

The flower's petals are 15 to 20 millimetres (0.6 to 0.8 inches) long. They are joined at their base to form a tube. This petal tube is white to pale purple. The inside of the tube is smooth, but some of the petal tips might have hairs. Inside the flower, there are four stamens, which are the parts that make pollen. These stamens do not stick out past the end of the petal tube.

This plant usually flowers in summer. However, it can also bloom at other times, especially if there's been some rain. After the flower fades, it produces an oval-shaped fruit. This fruit is about 7 millimetres (0.3 inches) long and 4 millimetres (0.2 inches) wide.

How Was Eremophila accrescens Named?

This plant was first officially described in 2007 by a scientist named Robert Chinnock. He wrote about it in a book called Eremophila and Allied Genera: A Monograph of the Plant Family Myoporaceae. The very first plant specimen used to describe the species was collected by Chinnock himself. He found it about 90 kilometres (56 miles) south-east of a place called Ashburton Downs.

The second part of the plant's scientific name, accrescens, comes from a Latin word, cresco. This word means "to grow" or "to increase." This name was chosen because the sepals (the leaf-like parts under the petals) get bigger during and after the plant flowers.

Where Does Eremophila accrescens Grow?

This type of Eremophila plant is found in specific areas of Western Australia. It grows in the Ashburton and southern Fortescue districts. These areas are part of the Gascoyne and Pilbara regions. You can find it in rocky places and along drainage lines. It likes to grow in gritty soil on flat, stony ground, often called "desert pavement."

Is Eremophila accrescens Safe?

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at Eremophila accrescens. They have officially classified it as "not threatened." This means that there are enough of these plants in the wild, and they are not currently in danger of disappearing.

Growing Eremophila accrescens in Gardens

Many people like to grow Eremophila accrescens in their gardens because it's a very attractive plant. It has lots of flowers, and its sepals stay on the plant for a long time, adding to its beauty.

Gardeners can grow this plant by joining it onto other similar plants called Myoporum species. This process is called grafting. The plant grows best when it gets lots of sunlight and is planted in soil that drains water well. However, it's important to know that this plant is very sensitive to frost. Frost can easily damage it, so it needs protection in colder areas.