Rason poverty bush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rason poverty bush |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eremophila (plant)
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| Species: |
aureivisca
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The Eremophila aureivisca, also called the Rason poverty bush, is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the figwort family, known as Scrophulariaceae. This plant grows naturally only in a small part of south-eastern Western Australia. It's a shrub with thin, sticky, and shiny leaves. It also has pale purple flowers. So far, it has only been found near Lake Rason. However, it might grow in more places in this distant area.
Contents
What the Rason Poverty Bush Looks Like
The Eremophila aureivisca is a bushy shrub with many leaves. It can grow to about 1 m (3 ft) tall. Its branches are wrinkly and feel sticky because of a yellowish sap called resin.
Leaves and Branches
The leaves grow one after another along the stem. They are usually 9–19 mm (0.4–0.7 in) long and 1.0–1.5 mm (0.04–0.06 in) wide. Their shape is long and thin, like a line or a spear, with a curved, pointy tip. The surface of the leaves looks wrinkly. They are smooth (meaning they have no hairs) and covered with a golden-yellow resin.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers usually grow one by one where a leaf meets the stem (this spot is called a leaf axil). Each flower sits on a stalk that is 4–6.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long.
Each flower has five creamy-green, narrow, egg-shaped parts called sepals. These sepals turn a deep burgundy pink as they get older. They are about 5–11 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long.
The five petals are 12–17 mm (0.5–0.7 in) long. They join together at the bottom to form a tube. The tube and the petal tips are blue to purple. But the inside of the tube is white with red spots. The outside of the tube and the edges of the petal tips are hairy. The inside of the tube has fine, spidery hairs.
Flowers appear from June to September. After the flowers, the plant grows dry, oval-shaped fruits. These fruits are about 6 mm (0.2 in) long.
How the Rason Poverty Bush Got Its Name
The Eremophila aureivisca was first officially described by a scientist named Robert Chinnock in 2007. He wrote about it in a book called Eremophila and Allied Genera: A Monograph of the Plant Family Myoporaceae.
Naming the Plant
The first plant specimen used to describe this species was collected in 1984 near Lake Rason. This first example is called the type specimen.
Chinnock chose the plant's special name, aureivisca, from Latin words. Auri- means "gold," and visca means "covered with a sticky liquid." This name describes the plant well. It has lots of sticky resin on its branches and leaves, which looks golden.
Where the Rason Poverty Bush Grows
This type of eremophila plant is only found within 25 kilometres (20 mi) of where the first type specimen was collected. This area is at the south-eastern end of Lake Rason. It grows on hillsides and in flat, shallow areas called claypans. The soil there is stony, thin, and made of red clay.
Protecting the Rason Poverty Bush
The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife has given Eremophila aureivisca a special status. It is classified as "Priority One."
This means that the plant is known to grow in only one or a few places. These places could be at risk, so the plant needs special protection to keep it safe.
Growing the Rason Poverty Bush in Gardens
The Rason poverty bush is a small, attractive shrub. It produces many flowers from late winter to spring. After the flowers fade, the deep pink sepals stay on the plant for a long time, which looks very pretty.
Planting and Care
You can grow this plant from cuttings. It might take up to three months for the cuttings to start growing roots. Another way to grow it is by joining it onto another plant called Myoporum (this is called grafting).
The plant can grow in many different types of soil. However, it grows faster in soil that drains water well and in a sunny spot. It can handle dry weather (it's drought resistant). But very cold frosts can damage it.
