Eremophila galeata facts for kids

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

Eremophila galeata is a special kind of flowering plant that belongs to the figwort family. You can only find it in Western Australia, which means it's endemic there. This plant is a shrub with sticky, shiny leaves. Its flowers have unique parts called sepals, and the petals form a tube that is dull pink and brown with spots. It usually grows in rocky, red soil.

What Eremophila galeata Looks Like

Eremophila galeata is a shrub that can grow between 1 and 4 meters (about 3 to 13 feet) tall. Its branches, leaves, and sepals are very sticky because they have a lot of a natural sticky substance called resin.

The leaves are usually between 32 and 62 millimeters (about 1.3 to 2.4 inches) long and 10 to 20 millimeters (about 0.4 to 0.8 inches) wide. They are shaped like a spear or a narrow oval. Each leaf has a stalk that is 15 to 35 millimeters (about 0.6 to 1.4 inches) long.

The flowers grow either alone or in pairs where the leaves meet the stem. Each flower has a stalk that is 15 to 30 millimeters (about 0.6 to 1.2 inches) long. There are five sepals, which are like small leaves that protect the flower bud. These sepals wrap closely around the petals and grow bigger after the flower blooms.

The sepal at the back of the flower is shaped like an egg and is 25 to 35 millimeters (about 1 to 1.4 inches) long. It has a clear raised line and covers the other sepals, almost like a helmet. The other sepals are 13 to 21 millimeters (about 0.5 to 0.8 inches) long. All the sepals are sticky and are usually greenish-brown to reddish-purple.

The petals are 22 to 35 millimeters (about 0.9 to 1.4 inches) long and are joined together at the bottom to form a tube. This tube can be white, dull pink, yellowish-grey, or pale lilac. Inside the tube and on the tips of the petals, you can see reddish-brown or purple spots. The tube is covered with tiny, sticky hairs, except for the inside of the petal tips. The four stamens, which are the parts that produce pollen, stick out beyond the end of the petal tube.

This plant flowers from May to October. After flowering, it produces dry, oval-shaped fruits that have ridges and a pointed end. These fruits are 7.5 to 10 millimeters (about 0.3 to 0.4 inches) long.

How it Got its Name

Eremophila galeata was first officially described by a scientist named Robert Chinnock in 2007. He published his description in a book called Eremophila and Allied Genera: A Monograph of the Plant Family Myoporaceae.

The second part of its scientific name, galeata, comes from a Latin word. It means "covered with a helmet." This name was chosen because the sepal at the back of the flower is shaped like a helmet, covering the other parts.

Where it Grows

This type of eremophila plant grows in several areas of Western Australia. You can find it between the towns of Leonora, Newman, Meekatharra, Wiluna, and Mullewa. It lives in different natural regions like the Carnarvon, Gascoyne, Gibson Desert, Little Sandy Desert, Murchison, Pilbara, and Yalgoo areas.

Conservation Status

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has classified Eremophila galeata as "not threatened." This means that, for now, there are enough of these plants, and they are not in danger of disappearing.

Using it in Gardens

This eremophila plant has attractive, large, dark green, and shiny leaves. However, its flowers are not considered very showy. It is similar to another plant called E. fraseri, but E. galeata is better at handling cold weather and frost.

Images for kids

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  E. galeata growing near Newman