Kingdom Plantae Family Scrophulariaceae Rank Species | Order Lamiales Genus Eremophila | |
Eremophila campanulata, commonly known as bell-flowered poverty bush, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to a small area in central Western Australia. It is a small, low, densely branched shrub with small leaves and purple or lilac flowers. Its most distinctive feature is the dark purple sepals at the base of the flowers.
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Description
Eremophila campanulata is a small shrub with a tangled branches growing to a height of about 0.4 m (1 ft) tall. The leaves are crowded near the ends of the branches and are mostly 3–10 mm (0.1–0.4 in) long and 1–2 mm (0.04–0.08 in) wide, linear to club-shaped with the edges turned under.
The flowers are borne singly in leaf axils on a stalk 4.5–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. There are 5 dark purple, egg-shaped, pointed sepals which are 5.5–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. The petals are 7–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) long and joined at their lower end to form a bell-shaped tube. The tube is pale lilac-coloured to purple with three broad and two slightly narrower petal lobes on the end. The 4 stamens (sometimes 5 or 6 stamens) extend beyond the petal tube. Flowering mostly occurs from July to September and is followed by fruit which are dry, woody, oval to cone-shaped and 6.5–7.5 mm (0.26–0.30 in) long.
Taxonomy and naming
The species was first formally described by Robert Chinnock in 2007 and the description was published in Eremophila and Allied Genera: A Monograph of the Plant Family Myoporaceae. The type specimen was collected by Chinnock about 39 kilometres (20 mi) east south east of Windidda. The specific epithet (campanulata) is from the Latin word campanula meaning "a small bell".
Distribution and habitat
Eremophila campanulata occurs between Prenti Downs and Wongawol in the Gascoyne biogeographic region where it grows in stony clay on low hills.
Conservation
Eremophila campanulata is classified as "Priority Three" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat.