Eremophila shonae facts for kids

Eremophila shonae is a beautiful flowering plant that belongs to the figwort family, called Scrophulariaceae. You can only find this plant growing naturally in Western Australia. It can be a tall, upright bush or a low, spreading one, depending on its type. Its branches and leaves are super sticky because they have a lot of resin on them. The leaves are thin, and the flowers are usually purple or mauve, with white insides and purple spots.

What it Looks Like

Eremophila shonae is a shrub that can grow from about 0.6 to 2.5 meters (2 to 8 feet) tall. Its leaves and branches are very sticky! Some types have hairy leaves, while others have smooth (or glabrous) leaves.

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves are long and narrow, about 3 to 10 millimeters (0.1 to 0.4 inches) long and 0.5 to 1.2 millimeters (0.02 to 0.05 inches) wide. They have a blunt tip.

The flowers grow one by one where the leaves meet the stem. They sit on straight, sticky stalks that are about 6 to 9.5 millimeters (0.2 to 0.4 inches) long. Each flower has 5 green to purple parts called sepals, which are like small leaves protecting the bud. These sepals are about 3 to 5 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) long.

The main part of the flower is the petal tube, which is 13 to 22 millimeters (0.5 to 0.9 inches) long. It's usually mauve, purple, or violet on the outside. Inside, it's white with purple spots! The outside of the flower tube is a bit hairy, but the inside is mostly smooth, except for some woolly hairs near the base. Inside the petal tube, there are 4 stamens, which are the parts that make pollen.

Fruit

After the flowers bloom, they turn into fruits. These fruits are flat and oval-shaped, about 4 to 6.5 millimeters (0.16 to 0.26 inches) long. They are hairy and have a bumpy, wrinkled surface. The time when the plant flowers depends on its specific type.

How it Got its Name

This plant was first officially described in 2007 by a scientist named Robert Chinnock. He wrote about it in a book called Eremophila and Allied Genera: A Monograph of the Plant Family Myoporaceae. The plant's special name, shonae, was given to honor his wife, Shona Chinnock.

Different Types of Eremophila shonae

There are two main types, or subspecies, of Eremophila shonae:

• Eremophila shonae subsp. shonae: This type is an upright shrub that grows taller, usually from 1.0 to 2.5 meters (3 to 8 feet). It has hairy leaves and sepals, though sometimes the stickiness can hide the hairs. This type flowers from May to September.
• Eremophila shonae subsp. diffusa: This type is a lower, more spreading shrub, growing from 0.4 to 0.8 meters (1 to 3 feet) tall. Its leaves and sepals are mostly smooth (not hairy). This type flowers a bit later, from June to October.

Where it Grows

Both types of Eremophila shonae grow in Western Australia, but in slightly different places.

Subspecies shonae Habitat

The shonae subspecies likes shallow, rocky soils. You can find it in many areas, from north of Mullewa all the way to the Wiluna area. These regions are known as the Murchison and Yalgoo biogeographic regions.

Subspecies diffusa Habitat

The diffusa subspecies prefers sandy soil near granite rocks. It grows between New Springs and Yarlarweelor pastoral stations. These areas are in the Gascoyne and Murchison biogeographic regions.

Is it Safe?

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife keeps track of how safe different plant species are.

Conservation Status

• The shonae subspecies is considered "not threatened." This means there are plenty of them, and they are not in danger of disappearing.
• The diffusa subspecies is classified as "Priority Three." This means it's not very well known and only found in a few places. However, it's not in immediate danger of dying out.

Growing This Plant

People sometimes grow Eremophila shonae in gardens because its light-colored flowers look really nice against its dark green leaves.

Tips for Growing

You can start new plants from cuttings (small pieces of the plant) or by grafting them onto another plant's rootstock (like a Myoporum plant). This plant grows best in soil that drains water well and in a sunny spot. It can handle dry weather, but very cold frosts can sometimes harm or even kill it.