Westringia eremicola
| Slender westringia | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Genus: | Westringia |
| Species: | W. eremicola
|
| Binomial name | |
| Westringia eremicola | |
Westringia eremicola, commonly known as slender westringia or slender western rosemary,[2] is a flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a small shrub, with narrow leaves and pink, mauve to white flowers.
Description
[edit]Westringia eremicola is a slender shrub growing to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) high. The leaves are on a petiole 0.5–0.7 mm (0.020–0.028 in) long, usually in whorls of three, narrow-elliptic to linear, mostly 8–20 mm (0.31–0.79 in) long, 0.8–1.6 mm (0.031–0.063 in) wide. The margins of the leaves are smooth, curved under, and both surfaces have more or less flattened, simple, upright hairs. The flowers are borne in leaf axils, with densely hairy sepals forming a tube 2.5–4 mm (0.098–0.157 in) long with triangular lobes 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) long. The bracteoles are 0.8–2 mm (0.031–0.079 in) long and the petals are mauve, purple or occasionally white, 6.5–8.5 mm (0.26–0.33 in) long and have orange to brown spots in the throat. Flowering may occur at anytime throughout the year and the fruit is a dark brown, woody capsule up to 1.5 mm (0.059 in) long.[2][3][4][5][6]
Taxonomy and naming
[edit]Westringia eremicola was first formally described in 1834 by George Bentham from an unpublished description by Allan Cunningham and the description was published in Bentham's book Labiatarum Genera et Species.[7][8] The specific epithet (eremicola) means "desert dweller".[6]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]Slender westringia grows in mallee on sandy soils in Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.[2][6] Associated species include Calytrix tetragona, as well as Acacia, Daviesia, Leptospermum, Leucopogon and Triodia species.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ "Westringia eremicola". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ a b c "Westringia eremicola A.Cunn. ex Benth". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
- ^ a b "Westringia eremicola". Electronic Flora of South Australia Fact Sheet. State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
- ^ Fairley, Alan; Moore, Philip (1989). Native Plants of the Sydney District. Sydney: Kangaroo Press. p. 296. ISBN 0864172613.
- ^ Conn, Barry J. "Westringia eremicola". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ^ a b c "Westringia eremicola". Seeds of South Australia. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ^ "Westringia eremicola". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
- ^ Bentham, George (1834). Labiatarum genera et species. London: James Ridgway. pp. 459–460. Retrieved 18 October 2024.