Eremophila hispida facts for kids

Eremophila hispida is a cool flowering plant that belongs to the figwort family, called Scrophulariaceae. You can only find this plant in Queensland, Australia – that's what "endemic" means! It's a small bush with narrow, fuzzy leaves that grow close together. Its flowers are a pretty violet or purple color. This plant only grows in a small area in central Queensland.

What it Looks Like

Eremophila hispida is a small, bushy plant, usually less than 0.4 m (1 ft) (about 1.3 feet) tall. Its branches are covered in lots of tiny hairs, making them feel fuzzy.

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves of this plant grow close together at the ends of the branches. They are usually 10–25 mm (0.4–1 in) long (about 0.4 to 1 inch) and very thin, less than 1 mm (0.04 in) wide. They are shaped like thin lines and are often covered in dense hairs, with their edges curled under. You can also see a clear line, called a midrib, on the underside of the leaves.

The flowers grow one by one where the leaves meet the stem, on a very short stalk. Each flower has 5 green, hairy, pointed parts called sepals, which are 4–9 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long. These sepals overlap each other.

The petals of the flower are 16–20 mm (0.6–0.8 in) long (about 0.6 to 0.8 inches) and are joined together at the bottom to form a tube. This petal tube is purple to violet. The outside of the tube is usually hairy, but the inside of the flower's tips (lobes) is smooth. The inside of the tube is filled with long, soft hairs. There are 4 stamens (the parts that make pollen) hidden completely inside the petal tube.

Fruits

After the flowers, the plant produces oval-shaped fruits. These fruits have a smooth, papery covering and are 5.5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long (about 0.2 to 0.3 inches).

Naming the Plant

How it Got its Name

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

The second part of its scientific name, hispida, comes from a Latin word. It means "with rough hair or bristles," which perfectly describes the fuzzy parts of the plant!

Where it Grows

Habitat and Location

Eremophila hispida grows in woodland areas where you can find mulga trees and Corymbia terminalis trees. It prefers brown loam (a type of soil with a mix of sand, silt, and clay) and sandy soil. You can mostly find this plant growing near the town of Winton in Queensland.

Looking After the Plant

Growing it in Gardens

This type of eremophila plant is not very common in gardens, but its beautiful purple flowers and interesting leaves suggest it could be a great garden plant!

You can grow new plants from cuttings (small pieces of the plant) or by grafting (joining parts of two plants together). It grows best in soil that drains water well and in a spot that gets full sun. This plant can handle dry conditions, so it doesn't need much watering, but it does need protection from frost (very cold temperatures).

Conservation Status

Good news! Eremophila hispida is classified as "of least concern" under Queensland's Nature Conservation Act. This means that, for now, there are enough of these plants in the wild, and they are not considered to be at risk of disappearing.