Eremophila laccata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eremophila laccata |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Scrophulariaceae |
| Genus: | Eremophila |
| Species: |
E. laccata
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| Binomial name | |
| Eremophila laccata Buirchell & A.P.Br.
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Eremophila laccata is a special kind of flowering plant that belongs to the figwort family, called Scrophulariaceae. It is found only in a small area near Carnegie in Western Australia. This plant is a small, low shrub with thin branches. It has long, thin leaves and pretty pink flowers that look like flattened bells.
What it Looks Like
Eremophila laccata is a low, thin shrub that can grow up to about 120 cm (47 in) tall. It can spread out to be 40 to 100 cm (16 to 39 in) wide. Its branches are smooth and shiny because they are covered in a sticky resin (a natural sticky substance).
The leaves grow one after another along the stem. They are usually 7 to 18 mm (0.3 to 0.7 in) long and about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide. They are long and thin, and their edges are rolled downwards. The leaves are also smooth.
The flowers grow one by one where the leaves meet the stem. Each flower sits on a small stalk called a pedicel, which is about 3 to 5 mm (0.1 to 0.2 in) long. Each flower has 5 green, spear-shaped sepals (small leaf-like parts at the base of the flower). These sepals are 3 to 4 mm (0.1 to 0.2 in) long and have some hairs on their inside surface.
The petals are 10 to 11 mm (0.4 to 0.43 in) long. They are joined together at the bottom to form a flattened, bell-shaped tube. This petal tube is pink or pinkish-white and has hairs both inside and out. Inside the petal tube are 4 stamens (the parts that produce pollen). This plant usually flowers between June and September. However, it can bloom at other times if the weather is good. The fruits are oval, shiny, and smooth.
How it Got its Name
The plant Eremophila laccata was first officially described in 2016 by two scientists, Bevan Buirchell and Andrew Phillip Brown. They published their description in a science journal called Nuytsia.
The second part of its name, laccata, comes from a Latin word. It means "appearing varnished" or "shiny." This name was chosen because the plant's fruit are smooth and shiny, just like they've been varnished!
Where it Lives
This type of Eremophila plant is only found in a few places near the Canning Stock Route in Western Australia. It grows in areas known as the Gascoyne and Little Sandy Desert biogeographic regions. It prefers to grow in shallow, reddish-brown soil, often in areas where mulga trees grow.
Protecting the Plant
Eremophila laccata is only found in a few scattered spots. Because of this, the Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has listed it as "Priority One." This means that the plant is known from only a few locations, and these places might be at risk. Protecting these areas is important to make sure this special plant continues to survive.
