Eremophila woodiae facts for kids

Eremophila woodiae is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the figwort family, called Scrophulariaceae. This plant grows naturally only in western central Queensland, Australia. It is a small bush with long, narrow leaves. These leaves grow close together near the ends of its branches. Its flowers have soft, hairy parts called sepals and pretty violet or light purple petals.

What Does Eremophila Woodiae Look Like?

Eremophila woodiae is a small shrub or bush. It usually grows to about 0.5 meters (about 1.6 feet) tall. Its leaves, leaf stems (called petioles), and sepals are covered in tiny, sticky hairs. These hairs are like tiny glands.

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves grow in a spiral pattern. They are packed closely together near the ends of the branches. Each leaf is long and narrow, shaped like a spear. They are about 12 to 22 millimeters (0.5 to 0.9 inches) long. They are also about 1.5 to 3 millimeters (0.06 to 0.12 inches) wide. Each leaf tapers down to a short stem about 0.5 to 1 millimeter long.

The flowers grow one by one where a leaf meets the stem. They sit on a short stalk called a pedicel, which is about 1 to 2 millimeters long. Each flower has five sepals. These sepals are about 12 to 14.5 millimeters long. They have three different sizes of lobes, which are like small rounded parts.

The petals of the flower are about 14 to 19 millimeters long. They join together at the bottom to form a tube. This tube is about 11 to 14 millimeters long. The petal tube and its lobes are a lovely violet to light purple color. The flower has two "lips" that are about 4 to 5 millimeters long. The top lip has two lobes, and the bottom lip has three lobes. The middle lobes are a bit longer and wider than the side ones.

Reproduction and Fruit

Inside the flower, there are four stamens. These are the parts that produce pollen. Two of the stamens are completely hidden inside the petal tube. The other two stick out just a little bit.

Eremophila woodiae flowers mostly between May and November. After the flowers bloom, they produce fruit. These fruits are shaped like an egg or a cone. They are about 5 to 8 millimeters long and 3.5 to 5.5 millimeters wide. The fruits are smooth and do not have hairs.

How Eremophila Woodiae Got Its Name

The plant Eremophila woodiae was officially described in 2015. This description was made by a scientist named Mark Alexander Edginton. He published his findings in a science journal called Austrobaileya.

The special part of its name, woodiae, was chosen to honor Aileen Wood. She was a long-time staff member at the Queensland Herbarium. A herbarium is like a library for dried plant samples.

Where Eremophila Woodiae Lives

This type of eremophila plant grows in specific areas. You can find it in thin, short woodlands. These woodlands are on dry, flat areas called plateaux. These places are near towns like Opalton and Vergemont. These towns are located west of Longreach and south of Winton. All these places are in western central Queensland, Australia.

Conservation Status

The Queensland Government has a law called the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Under this law, Eremophila woodiae is listed as being of "least concern." This means that the plant is not currently in danger of disappearing. It has a healthy population in the wild.