| Eremophila simulans | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Scrophulariaceae |
| Genus: | Eremophila |
| Species: | E. simulans |
| Binomial name | |
| Eremophila simulans | |
Eremophila simulans is aflowering plant in the figwortfamily,Scrophulariaceae and isendemic toWestern Australia. It is an erect shrub with broad, serrated leaves and violet to purple flowers.
Eremophila simulans is an erect shrub which grows to a height of between 0.6 and 2.0 m (2 and 7 ft). Its leaves and branches are sticky and shiny due to the presence ofresin. The leaves are elliptic to egg-shaped, hairy along their margins and often on their surfaces although the hairs may be hidden by the coating of resin. They are mostly 8.5–17 mm (0.3–0.7 in) long, 4–8.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide and have serrated edges.[2][3]
The flowers are borne singly in leaf axils on hairy, slightly sticky stalks 12.5–23 mm (0.5–0.9 in) long. There are 5 greenish-purple to reddish-brown, overlapping, hairy, egg-shaped to almost circularsepals which are 6–20 mm (0.2–0.8 in) long. The size and shape of the sepals varies with subspecies. Thepetals are 19–26 mm (0.7–1 in) long and are joined at their lower end to form a tube. The petal tube is purple or violet on the outside and white with bands of reddish-brown inside the tube. The outside of the petal tube and lobes is hairy, the inside surface of the lobes is glabrous and the inside of the tube is filled with woolly hairs. The 4 stamens are enclosed in the petal tube. Flowering time is from August to October and is followed by fruits which are dry, woody, oval shaped, hairy and 6.5–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long.[2][3]
The species was first formally described byRobert Chinnock in 2007 and the description was published inEremophila and Allied Genera: A Monograph of the Plant Family Myoporaceae.[4] Thespecific epithet (simulans) is aLatin word meaning "imitating" or "copying",[5] referring to the similarity of the features of this species to those ofEremophila georgei.[2]
There are three subspecies:
Subspeciessimulans is the most common of the subspecies and occurs on rocky hills and plains betweenCue and theWeld Range[3] in theMurchisonbiogeographic region.[9]
Subspecieslapidensis grows in sandy soils betweenSandstone andMeeketharra[3] in the Murchison biogeographic region.[10]
Subspeciesmegacalyx grows in rocky and sandy clay soil between theMurchison Settlement and Meekatharra[3] in the Murchison biogeographic region.[11]
Subspeciessimulans[9] andlapidensis[10] are classified as "not threatened"[9] but subspeciesmegacalyx is classified as "Priority Three" by the Western Australian GovernmentDepartment of Parks and Wildlife[11] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat.[12]
This eremophila has only recently been introduced into gardens and details about its horticulture are not well known. It has been propagated bygrafting ontoMyoporumrootstock and grows well in free-draining soil in full sun or part shade. It appears to be drought tolerant but its response to frost is not known.[13]