Eremophila viscimarginata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eremophila viscimarginata |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eremophila (plant)
|
| Species: |
viscimarginata
|
The Eremophila viscimarginata is a special flowering plant found only in Western Australia. It belongs to the figwort family, also known as Scrophulariaceae. This plant is a small, upright, and a bit prickly shrub. It has hairy stems, tiny leaves, greenish-pink parts called sepals, and pretty mauve petals.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The Eremophila viscimarginata is a shrub that usually grows to be about 20 and 50 cm (8 and 20 in) tall. Its branches are covered with tiny, sticky hairs, like little glands. You can also see shiny, sticky sap, called resin, running down from where the leaves join the stem.
Its leaves are small and overlap each other. They are arranged one after another along the branches. The leaves are thick, stand upright, and are shaped like an egg. They often have one or two pairs of large teeth along their edges, and each tooth has a sharp point. These leaves are 3–10 mm (0.1–0.4 in) long and 2–5.5 mm (0.08–0.2 in) wide. They look shiny and feel sticky, especially at their edges. There's also a sticky line down the middle of the underside of each leaf. When the leaves are young, they are covered in sticky hairs, but these hairs slowly disappear as the leaves get older.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers of this plant grow one by one where the leaves meet the stem. They sit on straight stalks that are 8–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) long and covered with soft, wavy hairs. Each flower has five egg-shaped sepals, which are like small leaves that protect the flower bud. These sepals are 8–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) long and can be reddish-purple or greenish-pink. They are mostly hairy.
The petals are the colorful parts of the flower. They are 15–20 mm (0.6–0.8 in) long and are joined together at the bottom to form a tube shape. The petal tube and its tips are light purple. The outside of the petals is mostly covered with long hairs, but the inside tips are smooth. The inside of the tube is full of long, soft hairs. Inside the petal tube are four stamens, which are the parts that produce pollen. They are hairy near their bases and are completely hidden inside the tube.
This plant mainly flowers between August and September. After the flowers, it produces fruit. These fruits are dry, woody, and oval-shaped, with four sides. They are about 6 mm (0.24 in) long and have a hairy, papery covering.
How It Got Its Name
This plant was first officially described by a scientist named Robert Chinnock in 2007. He published his description in a book about Eremophila plants.
The second part of its scientific name, viscimarginata, comes from two Latin words. "Visci-" means 'sticky', and "marginata" means 'margined' or 'edged'. This name perfectly describes the plant's sticky leaf edges.
Where Does It Grow?
This type of eremophila plant grows in very thin, rocky soils. You can find it on the lower slopes of Mount Beadell and in the Alfred and Marie Range. These areas are part of the Gibson Desert, which is a large desert region in Western Australia.
Protecting This Plant
The Eremophila viscimarginata is considered a "Priority One" plant by the Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife. This means that scientists know it only grows in one or a few places. These locations could be at risk, so it's very important to protect this special plant.
Growing This Plant in Gardens
This eremophila is not often grown in gardens, but it has some great features. Its colorful sepals, which stay on the plant even after the purple petals fall off, make it a beautiful addition to a garden.
If you want to grow this plant, you can use a method called grafting. This is where you join a piece of the Eremophila viscimarginata onto the root system of another plant, often a Myoporum plant. This shrub likes to be planted in soil that drains well and in a sunny spot. It can handle dry conditions, meaning it doesn't need a lot of water, and it can also handle a bit of frost.
