Green-flowered eremophila facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Campion eremophila |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eremophila (plant)
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| Species: |
virens
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Eremophila virens, also known as green-flowered eremophila or Campion eremophila, is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the figwort family, called Scrophulariaceae. This plant is special because it is endemic to Western Australia, meaning it only grows naturally there. It's an upright shrub with big, shiny leaves and fuzzy, yellowish-green flowers.
Contents
What it Looks Like
Eremophila virens is an upright shrub that can grow quite tall, usually between 2 and 5 m (7 and 20 ft). Its branches are smooth, except for some soft, white or yellowish hairs near the base of young leaves.
- Leaves: The leaves grow one after another along the branches. Each leaf has a stalk about 10–28 mm (0.4–1 in) long. This stalk has a groove on top and is covered with soft, matted hairs. The leaf itself is sticky and shaped like a spear or an egg. It's often folded lengthwise and has a pointed end. Most leaves are 45–70 mm (2–3 in) long and about 15–30 mm (0.6–1 in) wide. They are smooth and sometimes have small teeth along their edges.
- Flowers: The flowers grow alone or in small groups of up to three, coming out from where the leaves meet the stem. They hang on sticky, S-shaped stalks that are 20–25 mm (0.8–1 in) long.
- Sepals: There are five green, sticky, oblong-shaped sepals that overlap. They are 6–11 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long and mostly smooth, but have yellowish hairs near the top of their inner surface.
- Petals: The petals are 15–25 mm (0.6–1 in) long and join together at the bottom to form a tube. This tube is green to yellowish-green and doesn't have any spots. Both the inside and outside of the petal tube are hairy, but the hairs on the inside are glandular (meaning they can produce sticky substances).
- Stamens: The four stamens (the parts that produce pollen) stick out beyond the end of the petal tube.
- Fruit: This plant flowers between August and October. After the flowers, it produces dry, woody fruits. These fruits are oval or almost round, about 3.5–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) across, and have a smooth covering.
Naming and History
How it Got its Name
The Eremophila virens was first officially described by a botanist named Charles Gardner in 1942. He found a sample of the plant near a place called Campion. He published his description in the Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia.
The second part of its scientific name, virens, comes from a Latin word that means "becoming green". This makes sense because of its green or yellowish-green flowers!
Where it Grows
Habitat and Location
Green-flowered eremophila likes to grow in sandy soil. You can find it on quartzite hills and near granite rock formations. It grows in the Mukinbudin - Warralakin area of Western Australia. This region is part of the Avon Wheatbelt and Coolgardie areas.
Protecting the Plant
Conservation Status
Eremophila virens is a very special plant, but it is also quite rare. The Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia) lists it as "Threatened Flora".
It is also listed as "Endangered" (EN) under the Australian Government's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). This means it is at a high risk of disappearing forever. Because of this, a special plan has been created to help it recover and survive.
In 2008, scientists knew of only 14 groups (or "populations") of this plant. These groups were spread out over about 55 km (30 mi). Sadly, none of these groups had more than 250 mature plants. This shows how important it is to protect them!
Growing Eremophila virens
Tips for Gardeners
This plant is one of the first eremophilas to flower each year, often blooming as early as July. Even though its flowers are mostly green, they are very attractive to birds that feed on nectar.
- How to Grow It: You can grow this plant from cuttings, but they can be slow to start growing roots. It's usually more reliable to use a method called grafting. This is where a piece of the Eremophila virens is joined onto the rootstock (root system) of another plant, like a Myoporum.
- Where to Plant It: It can grow in many different types of soil. It likes either full sun or partial shade.
- Watering and Care: You only need to water it occasionally if there's a long dry period. However, heavy frosts can damage the plant. If frost does damage the leaves, you can trim the tips of the branches. This helps keep the plant compact and can even encourage more flowers to grow!
