Eremophila demissa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eremophila demissa
Eremophila demissa leaves and flowers
Scientific classification
Genus:	Eremophila (plant)
Species:	demissa

Eremophila demissa is a cool flowering plant that belongs to the figwort family, called Scrophulariaceae. You can only find this plant in a small area of central Western Australia. It's a low, spreading bush with small, yellowish-grey leaves and branches. Its flowers are a pretty mauve to blue color.

What It Looks Like

Eremophila demissa is a small, bushy plant that spreads out low to the ground. It usually grows less than 0.4 m (1 ft) tall. Its leaves and branches are covered with fine hairs, which makes them feel soft and fuzzy, like felt. The leaves grow close together near the ends of the branches. They are shaped like an oval or an egg, about 5.5–13 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long and 2–4 mm (0.08–0.2 in) wide.

The flowers usually grow one by one, but sometimes in pairs. They appear where the leaves meet the stem, on a hairy stalk that is 3–7 mm (0.1–0.3 in) long. Each flower has five sepals, which are like small leaves that protect the bud. These sepals are slightly overlapping, shaped like a spear or an oval, and are hairy on the outside. They are usually 9–14 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long.

The petals of the flower are 17–26 mm (0.7–1 in) long and are joined together at the bottom to form a tube. The outside of this petal tube is light purple to mauve. The tips of the petals are darker, and the inside of the tube is whitish with faint purple spots. Some parts of the outside of the petal tube and the petal tips are hairy. The inside of the tube is full of long, soft hairs. This plant flowers from March to August. After the flowers, it grows oval-shaped fruits with a thin, light brown covering. These fruits are about 7–8.5 mm (0.3–0.3 in) long.

About Its Name

The plant Eremophila demissa was first officially described by a scientist named Robert Chinnock in 2007. He wrote about it in his book, Eremophila and Allied Genera: A Monograph of the Plant Family Myoporaceae. The first plant specimen he studied, called the type specimen, was collected by Chinnock himself. He found it on Neds Peak Road, about 14 km (9 mi) from the Great Northern Highway. The second part of its scientific name, demissa, comes from a Latin word. It means "drooping," "weak," or "feeble." This name refers to how the plant grows low and spreads out.

Where It Lives

This type of eremophila plant grows in an area near Meekatharra. You can find it growing on flat areas made of clay and on rocky ground called silcrete.

Is It Safe?

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

Images for kids

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  E. demissa growing on the Gascoyne River floodplain