Eremophila coacta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eremophila coacta |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eremophila (plant)
|
| Species: |
coacta
|
Eremophila coacta is a special kind of flowering plant that belongs to the figwort family. It grows naturally only in a small part of Western Australia. This plant is an upright shrub with narrow, sticky leaves that have pointed ends. Its flowers are a beautiful light to dark lilac color and are covered in dense hairs.
Contents
What Eremophila coacta Looks Like
Eremophila coacta is an upright shrub that usually grows to about 4 meters (13 feet) tall and 1.5 meters (5 feet) wide. Its younger stems are quite sticky because of a natural substance called resin. This resin slowly dries and forms a brown, flaky layer.
Leaves and Stems
The leaves of this plant grow in groups near the ends of the stems. They are long and thin, usually about 28 to 44 millimeters (1.1 to 1.7 inches) long and 1 to 2 millimeters (0.04 to 0.08 inches) wide. When they are young, the leaves are sticky and hairy. But as they get older, they become smooth (which means they lose their hairs).
Flowers and Fruits
The flowers grow one by one where the leaves meet the stem. Each flower sits on a stalk that is about 10 to 27 millimeters (0.4 to 1.1 inches) long. Like the leaves, these stalks are sticky when they are new.
Each flower has five green to purple, pointed leaf-like parts called sepals. These sepals are 5 to 7.5 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long at first, but they grow bigger as the flower gets older, reaching 8 to 12.5 millimeters (0.3 to 0.5 inches). The outside of the sepals is smooth, but the inside is very hairy and has clear, tiny glands.
The petals of the flower are 12 to 20 millimeters (0.5 to 0.8 inches) long. They are joined together at the bottom to form a tube shape. This petal tube is usually a light to dark lilac color and is covered in dense hairs. The inside of the tube is very woolly. There are four stamens (the parts that produce pollen) hidden completely inside the petal tube.
Eremophila coacta flowers from July to September. After the flowers, the plant produces dry, woody fruits. These fruits are oval or cone-shaped and are about 5 to 8.5 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long.
How Eremophila coacta Got Its Name
Discovery and Description
The plant Eremophila coacta 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 specimen used to describe the species, called the type specimen, was collected by Chinnock about 16 kilometers (10 miles) north-west of Ashburton Downs.
Meaning of the Name
The second part of the plant's scientific name, coacta, comes from a Latin word. It means "felted." This name was chosen because the surface of the petal tube is densely hairy, feeling like felt.
Where Eremophila coacta Grows
Eremophila coacta is found in a specific area of Western Australia. You can find it between places like Ashburton Downs, Mount Vernon, and Paraburdoo. This region is part of the Gascoyne and Pilbara areas. The plant likes to grow in certain types of soil, like laterite and shale, often on ironstone hills and along the sides of creeks.
Conservation Status
The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife has given Eremophila coacta a special classification: "Priority Three." This means that scientists don't know a lot about this plant, and it's only found in a few locations. However, it's not currently in immediate danger of disappearing.
