Eremophila calcicola facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eremophila calcicola |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eremophila (plant)
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| Species: |
calcicola
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Eremophila calcicola is a special flowering plant. It belongs to the figwort family, also known as Scrophulariaceae. This plant is found only in a small part of Western Australia. This means it is endemic to that area.
It is a low, spreading shrub that doesn't live for many years. It has broad leaves and pretty pale, greenish-yellow flowers. These flowers bloom for a long time during the year.
Contents
What it Looks Like
Eremophila calcicola is a shrub that spreads out. It can grow up to 0.8 meters (about 2.6 feet) tall. It can also spread out to 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) wide.
Leaves
The leaves grow one after another along the stem. They are usually 20-80 millimeters (about 0.8-3.1 inches) long. They are also 3-15 millimeters (about 0.1-0.6 inches) wide. Their shape is like an oval or a spear. They have a few soft white hairs on them. Unlike some other plants in its family, its leaves are not grouped together at the ends of the branches.
Flowers
The flowers grow one by one where the leaves meet the stem. Each flower sits on an S-shaped stalk. This stalk is about 14-17 millimeters (about 0.5-0.7 inches) long.
Petals and Sepals
There are 5 green sepals that overlap each other. They are narrow and triangular, about 4-5 millimeters (about 0.16-0.2 inches) long. They also have a few hairs.
The petals are pale yellowish-green. They are 14-19 millimeters (about 0.5-0.7 inches) long. The petals are joined at their bottom part, forming a tube shape. The tips of the petals are not all the same size. They also curve backward. Both the inside and outside of the petal tube have some tiny glandular hairs.
Stamens
The 4 stamens are much longer than the petal tube. They grow in pairs. This plant usually flowers from May to October.
Its Name and History
How it Got its Name
The plant Eremophila calcicola was first officially described in 2016. A scientist named Robert Davis wrote its description. This description was published in a science journal called Nuytsia.
Before this, the plant was known by a different name. It was called Eremophila sp. Parmango Road. The second part of its name, calcicola, comes from Latin. "Calx" means "lime" and "-cola" means "dweller". This name tells us about the type of soil where this plant likes to grow. It grows in soil that has a lot of lime.
Where it Lives
This Eremophila plant is found south of Balladonia. This area is part of the Mallee region in Western Australia. It grows in sandy soil that contains calcium carbonate, which is like lime. It prefers open woodland areas.
Life After Fire
This plant often appears in large numbers after a bushfire. It grows quickly and produces many flowers. After a few years, it dies of old age.
Protecting the Plant
The Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife keeps track of this plant. They have classified Eremophila calcicola as "Priority Two". This means we don't know much about it. It is found in only one or a few places. Because of this, it needs to be watched and protected.
