Eremophila ovata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eremophila ovata |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Eremophila (plant)
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| Species: |
ovata
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Eremophila ovata is a pretty flowering plant that belongs to the figwort family, called Scrophulariaceae. It's special because it only grows in the Northern Territory in Australia. This plant is a small, round shrub with fuzzy branches and leaves. Its flowers are usually pink or purple on the outside and white inside.
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What it Looks Like
Eremophila ovata is a round, bushy plant that usually grows to be about 0.25 to 1 meter (10 to 39 inches) tall and about 1 meter (39 inches) wide. Its branches are covered with lots of tiny, soft hairs, some of which are sticky (these are called glandular hairs).
The leaves grow one after another along the branches. They are typically 10 to 25 millimeters (0.4 to 1 inch) long and 9 to 14 millimeters (0.35 to 0.55 inches) wide. They have a short stem, about 3.5 to 7 millimeters (0.14 to 0.28 inches) long. The leaves are shaped like an egg, or sometimes almost round. They are covered with hairs, especially on the underside. Sometimes, as the plant gets older, the leaves can become smooth and hairless (this is called glabrous).
The Flowers
The flowers grow one by one where the leaves meet the stem. Each flower has a very short stalk, less than 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) long. There are 5 green, hairy, pointed parts at the base of the flower called sepals, which are about 8.5 to 10.5 millimeters (0.33 to 0.41 inches) long.
The colorful parts of the flower, called petals, are 18 to 30 millimeters (0.7 to 1.2 inches) long. They are joined together at the bottom to form a tube. This petal tube is lilac or purple on the outside and white with lilac spots on the inside. The outside of the tube and the tips of the petals are hairy. However, the inside of the petal tips is smooth, and the inside of the tube is filled with soft, woolly hairs. The flower has 4 stamens (the parts that make pollen), but they are hidden inside the petal tube.
Eremophila ovata mainly flowers from winter to spring. After the flowers, the plant produces oval-shaped fruits that are 4.5 to 7 millimeters (0.18 to 0.28 inches) long and hairy.
How it Got its Name
This plant was first officially described in 1979 by a scientist named Robert Chinnock. The name ovata comes from a Latin word that means "egg-shaped." This name was chosen because of the egg-like shape of the plant's leaves.
Where it Lives
Eremophila ovata is only found in the George Gill and Gardiner mountain ranges in the Northern Territory. It likes to grow in rocky or gravelly soils on hillsides and in small valleys.
Conservation Status
The Northern Territory Government says that Eremophila ovata is "of least concern." This means that there are enough of these plants in the wild, and they are not currently at risk of disappearing.
Growing Eremophila ovata
This small Eremophila plant grows quickly but doesn't live for a very long time. It produces flowers for many months and is known to send up new shoots from its roots (these are called suckers).
It's easy to grow new plants from cuttings (small pieces of the plant). However, if you want to stop it from producing suckers, you can try grafting it onto a different plant's root system, like a Myoporum rootstock. This plant grows best in soil that drains water well and likes full sun or a bit of shade. It can handle very dry conditions and frost, but it doesn't do well in places with a lot of humidity (moisture in the air).
