Grey turpentine bush facts for kids

The Eremophila macmillaniana, often called grey turpentine bush, is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the figwort family, which is known as Scrophulariaceae. This plant is special because it is only found in Western Australia.

It's a tall shrub with wide, grey leaves. Its flowers are usually cream-coloured or pink. You might also see red or purple spots on the outside of the flowers.

What Does the Grey Turpentine Bush Look Like?

The grey turpentine bush is a shrub or a small tree. It can grow up to about 4 metres (13 feet) tall. Its leaves and branches are covered in soft, grey hairs. These hairs can get sticky with a natural substance called resin, which makes them harder to see.

The leaves grow one after another along the branches. They are often grouped together near the ends of the branches. The leaves are shaped like a long oval, getting narrower at the ends. They are usually between 23 and 54 millimetres (about 1 to 2 inches) long. They are also about 5.5 to 15 millimetres (about 0.2 to 0.6 inches) wide. Sometimes, the leaves can feel rough or look wrinkled.

The Flowers of the Bush

The flowers grow one by one where the leaves join the stem. Each flower sits on a grey, hairy stalk that is about 7.5 to 14.5 millimetres (about 0.3 to 0.6 inches) long.

Each flower has five overlapping, pale reddish-purple parts called sepals. Sepals are like small leaves that protect the flower bud. These sepals are about 18 to 32 millimetres (about 0.7 to 1.3 inches) long. The main flower petals are about 25 to 32.5 millimetres (about 1 to 1.3 inches) long. They are joined at the bottom to form a tube shape.

The petal tube is pink or cream-coloured. It has red to purple spots on the outside. Most of the flower tube and its petal parts are smooth, meaning they have no hairs. However, the middle of the bottom petal and the inside of the tube do have hairs. Inside the flower, there are four stamens. These are the parts that produce pollen, and they stick out a little past the end of the petal tube.

The grey turpentine bush flowers from June to September. After the flowers, the plant grows dry, woody fruits. These fruits are oval-shaped with a pointy end and are about 6.5 to 11 millimetres (about 0.3 to 0.4 inches) long.

How the Plant Got Its Name

The Eremophila macmillaniana was first officially described in 1864. This was done by a botanist named Charles Gardner. He wrote about it in a scientific paper called Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia.

The second part of its scientific name, macmillaniana, was chosen to honour Sir Robert Furse McMillan. He was an important judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Western Australia from 1913 to 1931.

Where the Grey Turpentine Bush Grows

The grey turpentine bush is very common and can be found in many places. It grows in the area between Meekatharra, Yalgoo, and the Kennedy Range. These areas are part of the Carnarvon, Gascoyne, and Murchison regions of Western Australia.

You can find this plant growing in sandy or rocky soil. It often grows on stony plains and hills.

Conservation Status

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at the grey turpentine bush. They have classified it as "not threatened." This means the plant is not currently in danger of disappearing.