Eremophila battii

Description

Eremophila battii is a spreading, intricately branched shrub with hairy stems, sometimes growing to a height and spread of about 0.75 m (2 ft). The leaves are arranged alternately, mostly 5–14 mm (0.2–0.6 in) long, 1.0–3.5 mm (0.04–0.1 in) wide, lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base and a curved tip. The surface of the leaves is hairy and dished and there are usually a few prominent teeth near the tip. The flowers are usually borne singly in leaf axils on a stalk usually 2–5.5 mm (0.08–0.2 in) long. There are 5 overlapping green, hairy sepals differing slightly in size and shape from each other but about 3–10 mm (0.1–0.4 in) long. The 5 petals are 16–23 mm (0.6–0.9 in) long and joined at their lower end to form a tube. The tube and the petal lobes on its end are a shade of pink or blue to purple but the inside of the tube is white with dark purple stripes and spots on the sides. The outside of the tube is hairy but the inside is densely hairy except for the petal lobes which are glabrous. The 4 stamens do not protrude beyond the petal tube. Flowers appear from July to October and are followed by fruit which are dry, almost spherical and about 6–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long and hairy.