Eremophila pentaptera facts for kids

Eremophila pentaptera is a special kind of flowering plant. It belongs to the figwort family, which is called Scrophulariaceae. This plant is found only in South Australia. It's a small bush with branches that can be light green or reddish-brown. Its leaves are thick and juicy, and its flowers are a pretty light purple or reddish-violet color. You can only find this plant in a few specific places in the northern part of South Australia.

What it Looks Like

Eremophila pentaptera is a small shrub. It has branches that spread out. It usually grows up to about 40 centimeters (16 inches) tall. Older branches are often grayish-white and have grooves.

Leaves and Stems

The leaves are shaped like a spear, wider at the base and narrower at the tip. They are thick and juicy, like succulents. Most leaves are smooth, without hairs. They are usually about 12 to 29.5 millimeters (0.5 to 1.2 inches) long. They are also about 3 to 7 millimeters (0.1 to 0.3 inches) wide. The top surface of the leaf is often curved inward, like a dish. The bottom surface is curved outward, like a bump.

Flowers

The flowers grow one by one where the leaves meet the stem. Each flower sits on a smooth stalk. This stalk is about 3.5 to 6.5 millimeters (0.1 to 0.3 inches) long. It has 5 clear ribs, especially near the end.

There are 5 sepals, which are like small leaves that protect the flower bud. They are mostly smooth and shaped like a spear. They are about 9 to 12.5 millimeters (0.4 to 0.5 inches) long. These sepals often have a purple color. They are shaped like a triangle if you cut across them.

The petals are about 22 to 32 millimeters (0.9 to 1.3 inches) long. They join together at the bottom to form a tube. The outside of the petal tube is light purple to reddish-violet. The inside of the tube and the lower part of the bottom petal are cream-colored. They have faint lilac spots. Both the outside and inside of the petals are smooth. But the middle of the lowest petal and the inside of the tube have long, soft hairs. There are 4 stamens, which are the parts that make pollen. They are about the same length as the petal tube.

Fruits

After the flower, the plant grows fruits. These fruits are oval or bottle-shaped. They are usually about 6 to 9 millimeters (0.2 to 0.4 inches) long. They have eight clear ribs along their sides.

How it Got its Name

This plant was first officially described in 1922 by a person named J.M.Black. He wrote about it in a publication called Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia.

Black wrote that Professor F. Wood Jones found this plant in September 1922. He found it on flat areas near Miller Creek. This was about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Kingoonya Railway Station. Black noted that the plant seemed to grow only in that specific area.

The second part of the plant's name, pentaptera, comes from Ancient Greek words. Pénte means "five." Pterón means "feather" or "wing." This name refers to the sepals of this plant, which have a wing-like shape and five distinct ribs.

Where it Grows

Eremophila pentaptera is only found in two separate areas in South Australia. One area is near Miller's Creek and Kalina. The other area is in the Copper Hills, which is part of the Pedirka Desert. These areas are far apart from each other.

Growing this Plant in Gardens

This plant is special because it is one of the few Eremophila plants that has thick, juicy leaves. It has not been grown much in gardens yet. However, it seems like it could be a good plant for warm places that don't get frost. You can grow new plants from cuttings taken from an existing plant. It grows best in soil that drains water well and in a sunny spot.