Eremophila arguta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eremophila arguta |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eremophila (plant)
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| Species: |
arguta
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Eremophila arguta is a special flowering plant that belongs to the figwort family. It's found only in a small part of central Western Australia. This plant is a small, hard-to-find shrub. It has long, bending branches and small leaves that look a bit like holly leaves. You can only find it in a few faraway places.
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What Does Eremophila arguta Look Like?
Eremophila arguta is a small shrub that can grow up to about 0.4 metres (1 ft) tall. It has long, thin branches that arch outwards, sometimes spreading as wide as 1.5 metres (5 ft).
Its leaves are spread out along the stems. They are about 3.5–12 mm (0.1–0.5 in) long and 1.5–5.7 mm (0.06–0.2 in) wide. These leaves are smooth (which means they are glabrous) and shaped like an egg. They often have 1 or 2, and sometimes up to 4, sharp teeth along each side.
The flowers grow one by one where the leaves meet the stem. Each flower sits on a stalk that is about 7.5–18.5 mm (0.3–0.7 in) long. There are 5 green, pointed sepals (these are like small leaves that protect the bud) that are slightly different in size and about 6.5–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long.
The 5 petals are about 16–21 mm (0.6–0.8 in) long. They join together at the bottom to form a bell-shaped tube. This tube is a lovely lilac color with yellowish-brown spots inside. The outside of the tube is a bit hairy.
Eremophila arguta flowers between August and September. After the flowers, the plant produces oval-shaped fruits. These fruits are woody, hairy, and about 6–9 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long.
How Eremophila arguta Got Its Name
The plant Eremophila arguta was first officially described by a scientist named Robert Chinnock in 2007. He wrote about it in a book called Eremophila and Allied Genera: A Monograph of the Plant Family Myoporaceae.
The very first plant used to describe the species (called the type specimen) was found at Mount Augustus Station. The second part of its scientific name, arguta, comes from a Latin word meaning "sharp-toothed." This refers to the sharp, toothed edges of the plant's leaves.
Where Does Eremophila arguta Live?
This special eremophila plant is only found in a few specific areas in Western Australia. These areas include Meekatharra, Upper Gascoyne, and Wiluna.
You can find it growing in places like the edges of floodplains, in dry creek beds, and along the sides of roads.
Is Eremophila arguta Protected?
The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife has given Eremophila arguta a special status called "Priority One."
This means that the plant is known to exist in only one or a few places. Because of this, it could be at risk of disappearing. Protecting these locations is very important!
Growing Eremophila arguta in Gardens
Eremophila arguta is a beautiful shrub that many people would love to grow in their gardens. However, it can be quite tricky to cultivate.
If you want to try growing it, it prefers soil that drains water well. It also needs to be watered sometimes during very hot weather. Luckily, it can handle frost, so cold weather isn't usually a problem for it. You can grow new plants from cuttings, from seeds, or by grafting it onto another plant called Myoporum.
