Spotted emu bush

Description

Eremophila maculata, also known as spotted emu bush or spotted fuchsia-bush, is a plant in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae, and is endemic to Australia. It is the most widespread of its genus in nature and probably the most frequently cultivated Eremophila. It is a spreading, often densely branched shrub with variable leaf shape and flower colour, but the other features of the flowers such as the size and shape of the parts are consistent. The inside of the flower is often, but not always, spotted. Eremophila maculata is a low spreading shrub, which usually grows to less than 2.5 metres (8 ft) tall. Its leaves range in size from 3.8 millimetres (0.1 in) to 45 millimetres (2 in) long and 0.5–18 millimetres (0.02–0.7 in) wide, and range from almost thread-like to almost circular but are nearly always glabrous and always lack teeth or serrations on the edges. The flower colour often varies even within a single population and may be pink, mauve, red, orange or yellow, often spotted on the inside. Flowers occur singly in the leaf axils and have a glabrous, S-shaped stalk, 10–25 millimetres (0.4–1 in) long. There are 5 sepals which are egg-shaped but end in a sudden point and are green or purplish-green. The 5 petals are joined for most of their length in a tube 25–35 millimetres (0.98–1.4 in) long, but the lobes on the sides and bottom of the flower are often turned or rolled back. The outside of the petals is glabrous but the inside surface of the tube is hairy and the lobes have a few spider-web like hairs. There are 4 stamens which extend beyond the petals. Flowers may appear in almost any month but are most prolific in winter and spring. The fruits which follow the flowers are dry, almost spherical and have an obvious beak. Eremophila maculata occurs in Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. It often grows on river flats and areas subject to periodic flooding.